Thomas Marlon Gregg

1936 - 2017

Thomas Marlon Gregg, 80, Islamorada, Florida, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 24, 2017, after a battle with lung cancer.
He was born August 12, 1936, during the Great Depression on a farm in Marshall County, Alabama, near Albertville. His first job was picking cotton for two dollars a day, where he learned the value of hard work. His family later moved to Hokes Bluff, Alabama, where he attended high school.
At the age of 17, he enlisted in the Marine Corps to learn how to fight and to see the world. He was stationed in Okinawa, Japan; the Philippines; and Puerto Rico. He earned the rank of sergeant, serving as an instructor in the Marine Corps sharp shooter school.
After military service, he took a job as a repo man for a regional finance company and worked his way up through the company ranks to an auditor position, and was later transferred to Jacksonville, Florida, to work for Title and Trust of Florida, where he rose to become vice president. He subsequently formed Florida Title and Guaranty Company in St. Petersburg, Florida, and built his company up to 11 offices.
After a very successful career in the title insurance business, he retired in 1998 to Ocala, Florida, to raise Tennessee walking horses. He was an excellent grouper fisherman, an instrument-rated pilot and loved to play country, gospel and hillbilly music on his guitar and mandolin. He was a true country gentleman and will always be remembered for his kindness and generosity, and his motto: "Do the right thing."
He was preceded in death by his wife, Glenna Gregg, and his parents, the Rev. J.T. Gregg and Marnice Gregg.
He is survived by his sons, Mark Gregg (Linda Barrett) and Barry Gregg; his sister, Myra Tedder (Ronnie), and his brother Mickey Gregg (Linda).
Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, June 1, 2017, at the Collier-Butler Funeral Home in Gadsden, followed by a graveside service at 1:30 p.m. at Crestwood Cemetery in Gadsden. The Rev. John Dickinson will be officiating.
Online condolences may be made at www.collier-butler.com.