Thomas Earl Belcher
March 23, 1932 - March 08, 2017
CSM Thomas Earl Belcher, US Army (Ret), age 84, of Lawton, Oklahoma, passed away Wednesday, March 8, 2017 in his home. He was born March 23, 1932 in Herndon, West Virginia to Herbert and Fay Laxton Belcher. Visitation will be held Sunday, March 12, 2017 from 3pm-5pm at the funeral home. Graveside services with full military honors will be held Monday, March 13, 2017 at 1pm at Fort Sill Cemetery in Comanche, County Oklahoma. Arrangements are under direction of Whinery-Huddleston Funeral Service.
Tom grew up in the mountains of West Virginia before attending trade school and becoming a welder for the Virginian Railway. In 1951, Tom was drafted by the US Army where he served as a radio operator for the Special Forces. Over the following 30 years, Tom served his country from Spokane, WA, to Fort Bliss, TX to Red Stone Arsenal, AL. His tours of duty included several tours of Germany and South Korea. Tom retired at Fort Sill, OK on May 1, 1981 as a Command Sergeants Major E-9. Tom continued to demonstrate his diligent work ethic for many years at the Goodyear Plant in Lawton, OK. Married November 7, 1959, Tom was a faithful husband to Gladys Schlosser Belcher for 43 years until her death in 2002. From his youth Tom enjoyed the outdoors and spent many contented hours fishing and hunting. After his retirement, Tom continued to serve his community by volunteering for Meals-On-Wheels, fishing with underprivileged youth, and writing community newsletters. Tom will best be remembered as a "good man" by those closest to him.
He is preceded in death by his wife, Gladys; his parents; his siblings William Belcher, Pearl Belcher Hill, James Belcher, Howard Belcher, Merle Belcher Hickman, Margaret Beryl "Boots" Belcher Morgan.
He is survived by his daughter Terri Jean Martin and her husband Matt, of Houston, Texas; his daughter Sue Ann Nudge and her husband Sans, of Grand Prairie, Texas; his son Thomas Lee Belcher and his wife Melanie, of Cleveland, Tennessee; and his son Richard Lee Thomason, of Allen, Texas; his beloved grandchildren Tamara Martin, Beth Martin, Jason Martin, Ashley Nudge, Samuel Thomas, and Brandon Belcher; and his brother Chester Belcher of Columbia, South Carolina.
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