Thomas J. "Tom" Nash

NASH, Thomas "Tom" J., departed this life on February 23, 2008, at the age of 82. He was a native of Texas and attended public schools in Lubbock prior to his entering the Navy in February 1944. During World War II, he served aboard a destroyer, the U.S.S. Philip until May 1946. Mr. Nash participated in nine invasion operations in the Philippines and Borneo. He was awarded the Victory Medal, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal with two battle stars, the Philippine Liberation Campaign Ribbon with one battle star, and the Combat Action Ribbon. He attended Texas Tech University after being discharged from the Navy, prior to transferring to the University of Texas where he graduated in 1950. He taught school and coached athletics in Corpus Christi, Texas, prior to joining Reynolds Metals Company there in 1953. He worked in production and human resources at the San Patricio and Sherwin plants. In 1960, he was transferred to the Pacific Northwest where he worked at Reynolds plants in Longview, Wash. and Troutdale, Ore. Mr. Nash moved to Reynolds Richmond Corporate headquarters in mid 1961 where he served in various human resources capacities until his retirement in 1988 after 34 years of service. His last position was Corporate Director of Employment and Placement. Mr. Nash was a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, past vice president of Gideons International, Chesterfield North Camp, former vestry member and junior warden of St. Michaels Episcopal Church. He was a board member of Richmond Navy League, Virginia Association of Colleges and Employers, and past president of Southern Association of Colleges and Employers. He was also a member of American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Sons of Confederate Veterans, Sons of the American Revolution, and a member of St. Albans Anglican Church. Mr. Nash had a passionate interest in the Holocaust and its impact on mankind. He was an avid reader on the subject and visited the Holocaust Museums in Washington, D.C., Richmond, and Yad Vashem in Israel, as well, as a concentration camp in Europe. He was a student of military history, especially World War II. He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Mary Ann; his daughter, Brenda Nash Olson and her husband, Neil; his son, William A. Nash; two grandchildren, Jonathan R. Gossard and Elizabeth A. Gossard; and great-grandson, Zion Gossard; and his sister-in-law, Betty Crews Smith and her husband, Dan, of Shreveport, La. The family will receive friends 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Bliley's Funeral Home-Central, 3801 Augusta Ave. Funeral services will be held 2 p.m. Wednesday at St. Albans Anglican Church, 4006 Hermitage Rd., Richmond, Va. 23227. Interment to follow in Hollywood Cemetery. Contributions may be made to St. Albans Anglican Church Building Fund or Gideons International. The family would especially like to thank the doctors, James T. May III and K. Singh Sahni. Also, the nurses on the third floor Oncology and in the Neuroscience ICU at Johnston Willis Hospital.
This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.