Thomas HINE

1935 - 2014

HINE, Thomas Joe Thomas Joe Hine died at Tranquility at Kennesaw Mountain on December 28, 2014, ending his 3 ½ year battle with cancer. He was peaceful and surrounded by his family. A memorial service for Thom will be held at 2PM on Saturday, January 3, 2014 at Alpharetta First United Methodist Church in Alpharetta, GA. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Harmony Foundation. Please add a note at the bottom of the donation, "In Memory of Thom Hine". Thom was born on August 19, 1935 in Martinsville, Indiana to June and Marion Hine. At age 14 his high school shop teacher wanted to form a barbershop quartet, and the rest, as they say, is history. He quickly developed an incredible love of vocal harmony and barbershop singing that led him to lifelong friends, his wife, Carla, of 52 years, and a family connected by love and music. Thom was a 64-year member of the Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS), and tirelessly shared his passion and his talent for singing and for leadership with barbershop singers across the US and around the world. Thom graduated from Proviso Township High School (Maywood, IL), and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Lake Forest University (Chicago, IL) in 1957, where he was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. He served in the US Army and Illinois National Guard, achieving the rank of Specialist E-4. After college he worked at Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, then was employed in various roles at Allstate Insurance Company for 33 years, retiring in 1993 to pursue his passion - barbershop harmony. Throughout his life he lived in many places, including Indiana, the Chicago area (a few times), Arkansas, North Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, and finally metro Atlanta, as director and then Director Emeritus of the Big Chicken Chorus, and then as a member of he Atlanta Vocal Project. Thom loved coaching and teaching barbershop harmony, and directed several choruses throughout his life. He sang in many quartets, including the popular Midnight Oilers, The Four Henchman (11th place, International Barbershop Quartet Competition in 1982), The Atlanta Forum (Dixie District Quartet Champions with his son, Clay, in 1987), and The Old Kids on the Block (International Senior Quartet Champions in 1991). Thom is survived by his loving wife, Carla Beyer Hine, his sisters Patricia Haskett (Carmel, IN) and Jean Morgan (Scottsdale, AZ), his sons, Clayton and Bradley Hine, their wives Becki and Georgia Hine, grandchildren Melody, Camden, and Kelso, and the thousands of people he made part of his extended family. We'll miss you Thom...but the bass section in heaven just got a whole lot better!