Thomas Allen Zettler – beloved husband, father and grandfather – died on Thursday, January 9, at North Mississippi Medical Center after a long battle with cancer.
In his last days, Tommy celebrated with his family as he marked his 74th birthday and his 51st wedding anniversary to his devoted wife Phyllis. And as he passed, he was surrounded by his wife and loving daughters.
Last year, Tommy was baptized as a member of the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church. A Banner community resident and a longtime Kentucky resident, he was a dedicated family man, a true-blue Kentucky Wildcats basketball fan and an Army veteran. He graduated from Dixon High School in Kentucky in 1957, and later served in the U.S. Army for two years at Fort Knox in Kentucky, Fort Jackson in South Carolina and Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. He was in the honor guard at Arlington during the funerals of both President John F. Kennedy and General Douglas MacArthur.
Tommy was a loyal employee of Genesco for 40 years, beginning in Huntsville, Alabama, and moving from one shoe manufacturing plant to another as he worked his way up in the company. When he transferred to Fulton’s former Charm Step plant, he and his family made their home in Northeast Mississippi. After retiring from Genesco, he worked at Mueller Copper Tubing for 5 years.
Tommy faced his battle with cancer with his typical toughness. Through it all, his attitude was positive and upbeat, and filled with humor.
Tommy is survived by his wife Phyllis Zettler, Huntsville native; daughters Sharon Cox and her husband Stevie of Amory, Karen George and her husband Neal of Fulton, Linda Boeko and her husband Bruce of Nashville, Tennessee, and Terri Green and her husband Michael of Fulton; one brother Jackie Zettler of Dixon, Kentucky; two sisters, Patsy Hite of Morganfield, Kentucky, and Linda Clark of Dixon; 10 grandchildren Allen Davis, Bridgette Cox, Kayla George, Clayton Davis, Candace George, Davis Boeko, Bethany George, Brandon Cox, Alexis Green and Andrew Green; and two great-grandchildren, Georgia Davis and Kesley Tucker.
Tommy was preceded in death by his mother Ruby Swann of Dixon, Kentucky, and father Polk Adam Zettler, also of Dixon.
Pallbearers will be sons-in-law Neal George, Michael Green and Bruce Boeko; brother-in-law Bobby Beaty of Huntsville, and nephews Mark and Michael Moore of Kentucky.
Honorary pallbearers will be Larry Quinn, Glenn Grissom, Ronnie Payne, Rick Mink, and Pete Elrod.
