Guntown Cpl. Thomas P. Clifford, 66, died Thursday, June 10, 2010, at Baptist Hospital in New Albany after an extended illness. A native of Chicago, IL, he was born July 13, 1943, to James E. and Helen Mae Vickers Clifford. He proudly served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1960-1965, primarily in Okinawa, Japan, but also in Hawaii and the Philippines. He was in the infantry, was a rifleman and squad leader and saw sea duty on the USS Columbus. He was awarded the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal for his years of service. He then began his career in education. His proudest accomplishment was working as a counselor for the Crisis Hotline at The College of Lake County in Illinois. He enjoyed watching the Chicago Cubs and Bears and building model airplanes and ships.
Services will be 2 p.m. Sunday at The Saltillo Chapel of W.E. Pegues with Bro. Adam Miller officiating. Burial will be in Mayfield Cemetery.
Survivors include his wife, Linda J. Clifford of Guntown; five children, Kimberly Burleson Little of Tupelo, Rhonda L. Bowles Bazzill of Saltillo, John M. Bowles of Kenosha, Wisc., Patricia Clifford of Escondido, Calif., and Gayle Michelle Clifford Miller of Portland, Ore.; his sister, Patricia DiCicco (Tony) of Estero, Fla.; his uncle, William E. Vickers of Zion, Il.; five grandchildren, Crysta Leigh Burleson, John Derek Burleson, Stephanie Nicole Bowles Lindsey (Brandon), Samuel Jared Burleson and Audrey Erin Burleson; three great-grandchildren, Hunter Reid Lindsey, Aiden Lee Kennedy, and Sophia Grace Lindsey.
He was preceded in death by his parents; and his son, Tommy Patterson Clifford, Jr., who died at age 12, in 1983.
Pallbearers will be Derek Burleson, Brandon Lindsey, Jared Burleson, Johnny Burleson, Bro. Pete Worthy, and Bro. Oscar Buchanan.
Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday at the Saltillo Funeral Home.
Memorials may be made to The St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Way, Memphis, TN 38105 or The Marine Corps League in care of Jerry McGafe, 662-213-5878.
Expressions of sympathy may be left at
www.peguesfuneralhome.com