Obituary

Thomas Lee Marr, of Plainview, Texas went to be with his Lord and Savior on January 23, 2021. He was 95.

Tom was born August 29, 1925, in Clarksville, Texas to Robert and Gertrude Marr. The family lived in East Texas until 1937 when they moved west to a small farmhouse north of Aiken, Texas. Tom graduated from Lockney High School. In 1943, he volunteered to serve in the Army. Tom was one of the soldiers who invaded the Philippines when General Douglass MacArthur “returned.” Tom was wounded in combat on that assignment and was later awarded the Purple Heart. He returned to the States in December 1944.

He married Jeanette Hall on February 5, 1948. They were married for over 72 years until her death in November 2020. They raised four children in Lockney: Ron, Gary, Karen, and Janis. The kids remember hearing stories about how Tom would repeatedly go to the café where Jeanette worked and drink a lot of coffee just to spend more time with her while they were dating.

Tom worked for 34 years at the Lockney Post Office. The last 30 years as a rural route mail carrier. He eventually retired from the Post Office in 1981. However, after completing each day’s route of delivering the mail, Tom’s work was not done. He owned and operated a cotton spraying business, sold Dekalb seeds, had a cage egg business that at one time, housed over 1,000 hens. He sold the eggs to the local grocery stores. In 1955, he also started a residential insulation business, which he owned until 1990. The family was amazed (and a little afraid) of Tom still crawling through attics well into his 60’s. In addition, he operated Big Storage from 1993 to 2003. This remarkable work ethic made a lasting impact on Tom and Jeanette’s children.

While in Lockney, Tom served his Lord as a deacon in the First Baptist Church. He served as Sunday School Superintendent and taught a Sunday School class as well. Tom also served several terms on the Lockney I.S.D. school board.

Tom and Jeanette moved to Plainview in 1986, where they both joined and quickly began to serve at The First Baptist Church of Plainview. Tom once again served as a deacon. He also delivered meals for Meals on Wheels. Tom and Jeanette made additional friends when they joined the Plainview Good Sam’s Travel Club and traveled with them for 20 years.

Tom loved to fish, and he had many relatives and close friends who he fished with. Whether it was Hubbard Creek near Breckenridge or Rockport on the coast, he was always ready to go. Tom was a very patient individual, and there was no time when his patience shown through more than when he was teaching someone to water ski. The list of his successes was extensive: from his own kids, to their friends, to an unknown number of nieces and nephews. Tom was the ever calm and steady boat driver who always offered encouraging words after the novice water skier fell one more time.

Tom is preceded in death by his wife, Jeanette Marr. Survivors include son Ron Marr and wife Leah of Ligonier, PA, son Gary Marr and wife Linda, of Plainview, daughter Karen Ford and husband Tony, of Fort Worth, daughter Janis Fry, her husband Dan and three boys, of Little Rock, Arkansas, a sister, Dorothy Turner, of Floydada, six grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren, and many, many nieces, and nephews.

Due to Covid-19, the family will delay services until the summer or fall of 2021.

The family wishes to thank the kind staff of Westridge Manor for their loving care of Tom.

The family ask that in lieu of flowers, memorials honoring Tom may be sent to: First Baptist Church, 205 W 8th St, Plainview, Texas 79072, or First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 446, Lockney, TX 79241.