Thomas Harvey
Shoemaker


November 30, 1940 - March 19, 2019

Thomas Harvey (Tommy) Shoemaker, 78, of Florence, passed away Tuesday, March 19, 2019.

Born in Waukegan, Illinois November 30th, 1940 he had been a resident of Russellville since age 2 years. He was a graduate of Russellville High School where he played trombone in the Million Dollar Band.  After attending Florence State Teachers College, now UNA, he worked in the aluminum industry at U.S. Reduction, Reynolds, & Revere Copper & Brass in Scottsboro. He retired from Revere as Cast House Superintendent when the progression of Retinitis Pigmentosa caused blindness.

He married Phyllis Stewart In 1962.  After Phyllis accepted a nursing position in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 1983, Tom joined her & enjoyed living in Riyadh & traveling in the Middle East & Europe. In 1995 they returned to live briefly in Muscle Shoals then lived in Pensacola & Perdido Key, Florida before returning to Florence in 2007.

Tom attended The Institute for Learning in Retirement (ILR at UNA).  He was a 32nd degree Mason & a Shriner. He belonged to The Muscle Shoals Elks Lodge.

Tom loved his family, friends, fishing from daylight to dark, SEC football, playing dominoes & Tonk, the Gulf of Mexico, telling tall tales & jokes and his Cocker Spaniel, Willie Shoemaker. Before his vision failed he restored dozens of vintage Corvettes that he loved to race & to compete in rallies & Corvette Shows.

Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph & Gladys Bass Shoemaker.

He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Phyllis Stewart Shoemaker; daughters, Neeve Shoemaker (Dane)  Weinberger of Huntsville, Andrea Shoemaker of Florence, Leigh Shoemaker Smith, former son in law, Jeff Smith, Birmingham;

granddaughters, Amanda Doll (Josh) Nunn of Maryland, Emma Smith of Birmingham, Elizabeth Durham (Josh) Kovach of Moore, OK, Julia Smith of Montevallo;  brother, Bob Shoemaker of Destin, Florida; and, sister in law, Nancy Stewart King of Muscle Shoals. Tom loved his extended family of cousins.

Visitation will be held at First United Methodist Church at 415 N. Seminary Street on  Friday, March 22 from 9:30  to 11:00. The funeral service will follow the visitation.  Burial will be held at Franklin Memory Gardens. Reverend Dale Cohen and Reverend Terry Stubblefield will officiate.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his honor to Foundation Fighting Blindness, (ffb.org)  7168 Columbia Gateway Drive, Suite 100, Columbia, MD 21046, or Alzheimer’s Association, (alz.org) 225 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL  60601.

Our family would like to express our appreciation to Dr. Robert Webb, Dr. Mitch Bowen, Dr. Ricky Irons, all Nursing staff in the Emergency Department & on the 5th floor  Palliative Care Unit at NAMC .

Special thanks for the love & prayers of our families & friends, Ferguson Sunday School Class, ILR & Muscle Shoals Elks Lodge.



Visitation

March 22, 2019
9:30 am

Visitation

First United Methodist Church, Florence, AL

March 22, 2019 9:30 am

Get Directions

Funeral

March 22, 2019
11:00 am

Burial in Franklin Memory Gardens, Russellville, Alabama

Funeral

First United Methodist Church, Florence, AL

March 22, 2019 11:00 am

Get Directions

4 Comments on “Thomas Harvey Shoemaker”

  1. This world has lost a light and a lot of laughter with the passing of Tommy Shoemaker! He will be missed…

  2. We are saddened to hear of Tom’s passing. We shared the bond of our experiences in the Middle East and grieve alongside you. May Tom’s light shine all the brighter in Heaven and may the Spirit of our Lord comfort you during this time.

    With great affection and sincere condolences,

    Nance & Mike

  3. Any time we had the opportunity to be around Tommy, he was a “bright spot” in that day. Such a genuinely nice person! We are so saddened he is no longer with us.

    Don and Abby Stewart

Sign Guestbook

Your email address will not be published.

No images or videos listed.

Donations to the Family

We need to talk about donation portals to the families.

Send Flowers

Here is where we can preview the floral site and take orders directly.