Thomas Wesley Clepper III

Thomas Wesley Clepper, III, age 81, flew to Heaven on wings of angels on the evening of January 7, 2009. He was born May 29, 1927 in Nowata, OK. He is preceded in death by his eldest daughter, Ivy Christine Walker, his father Thomas W. Clepper, II, and mother, Martha Ann Jones Clepper. He is survived by his wife of almost 54 years, Mildred Jacqueline Drake, whom he married February 23, 1956 in Chattanooga, TN; son, Thomas W. Clepper, IV (wife Renee) of Alexandria, VA and daughter Amy Richardson (husband Clark) of Terrell, TX; grandchildren Thomas Wesley Clepper, V; Sgt. Clark Richardson, U.S. Army (wife Crystal), Erin Clepper, Megan Walker, Holly Richardson, Emily Walker Crume (husband Kyle), PFC Charles C. Walker, U.S. Army, and Olivia Clepper; great-grand children Chase Clepper, Chloe Crume, Ayden Clepper and Sydney Crume; brothers Walter D. Clepper, (wife Leta) Ooltewah, TN; Alan S. Clepper, (wife Miriam), Pine Mountain, GA and Frank Clepper (wife Bettye) Seymour, TN, and eleven nieces and nephews. He was a Senior Tool Engineer for almost 25 years at Lithonia Lighting, Conyers, Georgia where he designed and manufactured industrial and home fluorescent lighting fixtures. He was drafted into the Army as a Senior in high school in 1945 and trained in hand-to-hand combat as part of the Japanese islands invasion force. Soon thereafter, he was discharged to help his mother and brothers after the death of his father. He was a faithful Christian and a member of Whitney Baptist Church, Leesburg, FL and enjoyed studying the Bible, especially the Book of Revelation. He passed his passion for aviation and building model airplanes to his son and grandsons. A memorial service will be held at Whitney Baptist Church on Saturday, January 10, 2009 at 2:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, family and friends are invited to make a donation to the building fund for Whitney Baptist Church, 32630 North Whitney Road, Leesburg, FL 34748.