Thomas Floyd Sr

Thomas Elbert Floyd passed away in Houston, Texas on April 28, 2025, at the age of 87. Tom was born on August 14, 1937, in Pensacola, Florida, to Lewis G. Floyd and Lois Wilkinson Floyd. He and his brothers were raised in Barrineau Park, Florida.
Tom graduated from Tate High School in Cantonment, Florida in 1955 and earned a Bachelor and Master's Degree from the University of Florida. He met his wife Jean while she was working at a summer job in Pensacola. They married in 1961 and moved to Gainesville, Florida so Tom could finish his college education. They settled in Houston in 1968 with children, Barbara and Tom Jr.
Tom used his love for fishing to work as a bass fishing guide while attending college in Gainesville to pay for tuition. He has been an avid fisherman ever since. After graduating from college, he took a marketing position at Coca Cola and transferred to Houston with the Coca Cola Foods Division in 1968. His knowledge and passion for market research eventually led him to start Auto-Facts market research company which was eventually combined with NPD Research in Port Washington, New York. His development of retail motor oil market share data became the industry norm even until this day. In 1991 he was hired back by Coca Cola in Atlanta as Global Marketing Director taking his market research expertise around the world. He then moved back to Houston in 1994 to become President of Slick 50 (oil additive products). After Quaker State purchased Slick 50, Tom moved to Pennzoil Products Company as Chief Marketing Officer responsible for market research, advertising and sponsorship in Indy Car, NHRA and NASCAR racing until he retired in 1999.
He loved all types of fishing and deer and elk hunting, especially with his brother Jim. Evidence of his hunting and fishing prowess can be found on many a wall. He got the name "Tackle Box Tom" many years ago when CB handles were a thing, and it stuck. Tom and Jean settled in Port Mansfield, Texas full time in 2018 where he fished almost every day, learned to build fabulous custom fishing rods and fishing lures and was very involved with the Port Mansfield Chamber of Commerce, serving as President and bolstering the annual Port Mansfield Fishing Tournament to raise funds for the chamber. Most importantly, he took wonderful care of his wife, Jean, who battled illness and dementia the last several years of her life until October 4, 2024. He touched so many lives in numerous ways, even during his tough fight with pancreatic cancer in the last six weeks of his life.
Tom is preceded by his loving wife, Jean Floyd; daughter, Angie Harvison; parents, Lewis and Lois Floyd; brothers, Wayne Floyd, Jim Floyd and Myron Floyd.
He is survived by his daughter, Barbara Nicholson; son, Tom (Jill) Floyd, Jr.; grandchildren, Elizabeth (Chad) Loveday, Jeffery Harvison, Jessica Harvison, Trae Floyd, Carter Floyd, and Austin Nicholson; great-grandchildren, Ryan Harvison, Kylie Harvison, Brielle Harvison, Evie Loveday, Ellie Loveday, Colin Loveday and Case Loveday.
A celebration of Tom's life is to be held in a casual gathering at 3-5 o'clock in the afternoon on Sunday, June 15th at The Lakehouse, 707 Del Webb Blvd, Richmond, TX 77469.
In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions in Tom's memory be directed to the Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research (pancreatic.org). Rest in peace Tackle Box!