It is with heavy hearts that the family of Tom Ed Bondurant announces his passing from this life. On November 26, 2020, he succumbed to his life long struggle with the effects of the polio virus, but he would always like to say it was from fighting Indians. It made for a better story.
He was born in Giles County in July of 1940, the first born of Richard and Sarah Jordan Bondurant, and the first grandchild of Brantley and Blanche Jordan and Richard and Elizabeth “Bensie” Bondurant. Soon after, Richard and Sarah welcomed their second born, Renee Bondurant soon to be the only girl of five boys. At an early age, he gained a step dad, Tom Lamasters, and stepmother, Elaine Bondurant, and four brothers, two from each family: Terry Lamasters, Jordan Lamasters, Charlie Bondurant, and Joe Bondurant
He contracted a rare paralytic form of polio at the young age of 11. True to his zodiac sign of Leo the Lion, he was strong willed, determined, and a force to be reckoned with. Polio had met a formidable opponent. Despite multiple extended hospital stays and moves to multiple cities and schools, he was a good student and graduated high school at West End High School in Nashville in 1959.
He attended Martin College and Tennessee Tech, where he made several life long friends. He was married in 1965 to Charlotte Ann Harwell. They began their life together in Huntsville, Alabama. He went to work at Redstone Arsenal as an electronic technician, and it was there he decided he wanted to be an electrical engineer. He entered the electrical engineering program at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree.
Wanting to try his hand at farm life, he moved his family from Huntsville to Elkton. He bought a small farm where he enjoyed raising cows as a pastime, until his retirement some 30 years later.
He served the US Army as a civil servant, working as a Senior Missile Test Engineer within the US Army’s Patriot Project Office, he supported the Patriot ground to air missile defense system during the research and development years. He was highly respected for his numerous contributions and well known for his “common sense” approach. His many flight test successes contributed significantly to the fielding of these critical defense capabilities of our United States and Allied countries that continue today.
After his retirement from Redstone, he moved with his family to Winchester to join his father and brothers at Tri Lakes Marine on Tims Ford Lake.
He was big in personality, the life of the party, and strong and fixed in his opinions. He was passionate and very vocal, relentlessly arguing his views until his audience cried uncle. He was a lifelong Democrat and lover of Tennessee football (Tennessee fans require a strong constitution, and that he had). In his later years, he enjoyed playing cards with the ladies at the marina.
He is preceded in death by his parents, his daughter Charlotte Abigail (Abbie) Bondurant, and his baby brother Jordan.
He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Charlotte Bondurant, two daughters, Jill Russell (husband Don) and Kelsey Weddington (husband Chris), and son, Brant Bondurant along with five grandchildren: Daisy Abigail Bondurant, Bryson Russell, Baylor Russell, Aubrey Bondurant, and Owen Weddington.
“So when a great man dies, for years beyond our ken, the light he leaves behind him lies upon the paths of men.” –Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Visitation will be from 12-2 pm on Tuesday, December 1, 2020 at Moore-Cortner Funeral Home. A Graveside Service will follow at 2:00 pm at Franklin Memorial Gardens with Dr. Rev. Michael Clark and Rev. James Bradley Smith officiating.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to Easter Seals Tennessee, Polio Hero’s Group, 500 Wilson Pike Suite 228, Brentwood, TN 37027, or Elkton United Methodist Church, 505 Prospect-Elkton Rd, Prospect, TN 38477.
Moore-Cortner Funeral Home, 300 First Ave NW, Winchester, TN 37398, (931)-967-2222
