JOHN THOMAS "TOM" UTLEY

JOHN THOMAS "TOM" UTLEY, 79, of Fort Wayne, passed away Saturday, Jan. 7, 2017, in Panama City Beach, Fla. Born May 7, 1937, in Corinth, Miss., he was the son of the late Grady Lee and Alpha Hurst Utley. Tom was a 1955 graduate of Corinth High School, obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree from The University of North Alabama, and pursued graduate work at IPFW in 1975. He served his country in the United States Army, two years of which he was stationed in Germany. After college, he taught high school English, worked in advertising, and finished his career as Senior Publications Manager for ITT Aerospace, where he wrote and edited winning proposals for multi-billion dollar programs. He is survived by a brother, Jimmy Lee (Barbara) Utley of Ormond Beach, Fla.; a daughter, Shawn (Kirk) McKinley of Fort Wayne; son, Thomas S. Utley; and three grandchildren, Megan Utley, Joshua Utley and Alyssa McKinley. Services were held near his childhood home in Corinth, Miss. where he was laid to rest with his parents, his older brother, Roy Clyde, and other family members.