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 two 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, and Revere Copper and 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 and enjoyed living in Riyadh and traveling in the Middle East and Europe. In 1995 they returned to live briefly in Muscle Shoals then lived in Pensacola and 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 and a Shriner. He belonged to The Muscle Shoals Elks Lodge. Tom loved his family, friends, fishing from daylight to dark, SEC football, playing dominoes and Tonk, the Gulf of Mexico, telling tall tales and jokes and his Cocker Spaniel, Willie Shoemaker. Before his vision failed he restored dozens of vintage Corvettes that he loved to race and to compete in rallies and Corvette Shows.
Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and 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 a.m. The funeral service will follow the visitation. Reverend Dale Cohen and Reverend Terry Stubblefield will officiate. Burial will be held in Franklin Memory Gardens, Russellville.
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 and on the 5th floor Palliative Care Unit at NAMC.
Special thanks for the love and prayers of our families and friends, Ferguson Sunday School Class, ILR, and Muscle Shoals Elks Lodge. You may sign the guest register at sprywilliams.com
