Thomas Rivers

Tupelo - Thomas Lamar Rivers, 75, died Sunday, September 20, 2009, at The North Mississippi Medical Center after an extended illness. He was born December 7, 1933, in Neshoba County to Curtis Hugh Lee and Mavis Dallas Rivers. A 1952 graduate of Meridian High School, he then went on to Meridian Junior College and East Mississippi Junior college where he played Basketball. In 1958, he graduated from Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Science degree. He served in the US Army from 1954 to 1956 during the Korean War. A longtime resident of Huntsville, Ala., he worked as a technical writer at Redstone Arsenal for the US Army Missile Command. He was married to Jackie Spiers Rivers who preceded him in death on February 12, 2009. He lived in Tupelo since 2007. He enjoyed golfing, fishing, and was an avid fan of Mississippi State University sports. He loved spending time with his family. He was a member of Hillsboro Heights Baptist Church in Huntsville.

Visitation will be 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at Hillsboro Heights Baptist Church in Huntsville, Ala. with Graveside services following at Faith Memorial Gardens in Huntsville. W. E. Pegues Funeral Directors is in charge of the arrangements. Local visitation will be 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home in Tupelo.

Survivors include three daughters, Suzanne Crow (Allen) of Belden, Judith Jackson (Lex) of Starville, and Stephanie Lenox (Dave) of Eva, Ala.; two brothers, Wyndell Rivers of Liberty Hill, Tex. and Bob Rivers of Meridian; four grandchildren, Sara, Emily, Austin, and Erin.

He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, John Paul Rivers.

Members of his family will serve as pallbearers.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Traceway Retirement Center, 2800 West Main, Tupelo MS 38801; or Hillsboro Heights Baptist Church, 3614 Drake Ave. Huntsville, 35805.