Thomas Ray (Tommy) Halcomb died Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2012 after a courageous battle against Multiple Myeloma, a battle that lasted for over five years. Funeral services will be Friday, Nov. 23, at 2 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, Sheffield, with Dr. Toby E. Mueller and Rev. Van Edington officiating. Visitation will be at the church from 1 p.m. until the service. Burial will be at Shoals Memorial Gardens.
Tommy was born on August 26, 1940, in Ft. Payne, Alabama, and moved to Halltown in Franklin County, Alabama, at an early age. He was a graduate of Vina High School, Athens College, and The University of Mississippi. He began his high school teaching career of over 30 years at Vina High School, and taught his last 16 years at Deshler High School. From 1973 to 2007 he was an adjunct faculty member at Northwest Shoals Community College. His teaching discipline was science, and at the high school level he taught chemistry, physics and biology. As an adjunct instructor at Northwest he taught anatomy & physiology, and his students included many future nurses and other healthcare professionals.
It was while teaching at Northwest that he met Reba Crumpton Loften, a nursing instructor. They were married June 4, 1978, combining their families of five children and making their home in Tuscumbia, Alabama.
Tommy was a member of First Presbyterian Church, Sheffield, where he served on the session as an elder. One of his greatest joys was leading an adult Sunday School class. He often said he learned more from the class than he taught. He was also the consummate storyteller and loved to entertain with stories of his days growing up in Franklin County.
Tommy was preceded in death by his parents, Karie and Maudie Halcomb, brothers Jimmy and Phillip Halcomb, and sister and brother-in-law, Bobbie and Larry Ott.
He is survived by his wife of 34 years, Reba; children Randy Halcomb and his wife Hongmei Huang, Lisa Loften, Rhonda Halcomb, Eddie Loften and his wife Beth, and Anesa Halcomb; grandchildren Carina and Liam Halcomb, Hannah and Sarah Kate Loften, and Myron and Josef Halcomb; three sisters, Hazel (and Dave) Williams, Virginia (and James) Lindsey, and Linda (and Ken) Haynes; sisters-in-laws, Angie Halcomb and Wynnojean Halcomb; numerous nieces and nephews, cousins, extended and church family.
Pallbearers will be Tim Crumpton, James Lindsey, Heath Halcomb, Charles Hotchkiss, Don Armstrong and Patrick Smith. Honorary pallbearers are Dr. Richard Deal, Dr. Bart Barlogie and Dr. Anthony Kalliath. The family would also like to offer a special thanks to Shoals Ambulance Service for a safe and comfortable trip home from Arkansas for Tommy so that he could spend his final days with his family and loved ones.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Myeloma Institute for Research & Therapy at University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR: http://myealom.uams.edu/, or to First Presbyterian Church, Sheffield.
An online guest book is available at morrisonfuneralhomes.com.
