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The funeral for Tom P. Sailors Jr., 76-year-old Enid resident, will be 1 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5, 2015, in The First United Methodist Church. The Rev. Randy Mitchell will officiate. Arrangements are under direction of Henninger-Hinson Funeral Home.
Tom was born in Oklahoma City on March 6, 1939, to Tom P. Sailors Sr. and Vera Mae (Rosenbaum) Sailors and died Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015, at St. Anthony's Hospital in Oklahoma City.
Tom moved to Enid with his family when he was in the eighth grade.
He graduated with the Enid High class of 1957. He attended Oklahoma State University, where he was a Phi Delta Theta.
In August 1961, Tom married Ruth Ann Brown, and the couple made their home in Enid. He graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1962 with a BA in business administration, a minor in economics, and then began working toward his MBA.
In 1963, Tom accepted a position as Enid's assistant city manager. He was appointed city manager in 1969, becoming the youngest to hold that position in the USA.
During his tenure, City Hall was moved to a new municipal office complex.
A new police and central fire station, city service center, water treatment facility and a new terminal and hangar at Woodring Airport also were constructed.
With Tom's oversight, the city also bought and developed Crosslin Park and expanded Government Springs Park through the addition of The Museum of the Cherokee Strip and South Government Springs. All this was accomplished without incurring any debt.
He was selected as Oklahoma's Outstanding Young Man at the age of 34, was a distinguished guest at the Air War College, and a recipient of the International City Innovation in Management Award on several occasions.
In the mid-1980s, he bought his family's distribution business, which he managed until 2004.
He also formed a consulting firm that focused on a variety of services to municipal government.
Tom was passionate about the preservation of Convention Hall and was instrumental in forming the group, The Friends of Convention Hall, dedicated to preserving the building. Serving as chairman of the board of The National Business Association of Dallas, Texas, Tom represented small business interests in Washington, D.C.
He was a longtime member of The First United Methodist Church.
He was an avid OSU, Enid High School and OKC Thunder fan.
He is survived by his wife, Ruth Ann Sailors of the home; daughters, Nancy Killam and husband Kelly of Enid and Brooke Kadet and husband Greg of Tampa, Fla.; five grandchildren, Katie (23), Matt (19) and Emilie (16) Killam, and Jake (13) and Anna (11) Kadet.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Patricia Westlake; and a brother, Dick.
Memorials may be made through Henninger-Hinson Funeral Home to The First United Methodist Church.
(Submitted by family)
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