Thomas Earl Persons, Jr.

Thomas Earl "Tom" Persons, Jr, 77, of Huntsville, Alabama. passed away at Huntsville Hospital on August 6, 2018 after a brief illness. Tom was the eldest son born to the late Thomas Earl and Jessie E. Coleman Persons in Shuqualak, MS. He graduated from Shuqualak High School, Class of 1958, where he was a star football player, playing center on the offensive side of the line and nose-guard on the defensive side. Tom and his next in age brother, Gene, grew up on the farm, plowing mules, picking corn, raising cattle and all the other things that were necessary to make the farm a success. After graduation, Tom worked at  Varner's Service Station for a several years before joining the U.S. Army in 1963. He made a career of the Army, retiring after 28 years of active service which carried him all over the world. During his first overseas deployment in West Germany, he met and married the love of his life, Helga Pomja. Together they lived at various Army Bases in the U.S and in Germany. Tom also served a tour in Viet-Nam (1968-69) while his young family lived close to his parent's home near Shuqualak until he returned. Early in his military career, Tom took up skeet shooting as a hobby and, over the years, won hundreds of matches all over the world. He had only recently stopped competitive skeet shooting.  After his retirement to the Huntsville, Al area, Tom worked for the Chrysler Corp. as a Security Officer for several years before retiring completely. As a child, Tom inherited a family penchant for deer hunting,  turkey hunting, and fishing, all of which he vigorously pursued after retirement from the military. He passed this love of the outdoors on to his children. Tom is survived by his wife: Helga; his daughter: Susan P. Martin (Keith); his two sons: Emil Persons (Jennifer) and Tommy Persons (Carmen) and by 5 grandchildren. He is also survived by two brothers: Gene Persons and Bob Persons (Pam) as well as by several nieces and nephews.

The memorial service for Tom Persons will be held at Berryhill Funeral Home Chapel in Huntsville, Al. on Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018 at 11:00 A.M. Visitation will be one hour before the service.