Thomas Corwin Herndon III

1933 - 2025

Martinez, GA - Entered into rest on Friday, August 15, 2025, Thomas Herndon III, 92, husband of Ruth Herndon. He left his earthly home broken, but arrived in Glory with a healed mind, body, and soul.

Born on January 29, 1933 and raised in Russellville, Kentucky, Tom was one of eight children born to Grover Cleveland and Minerva McCraw Herndon. At heart, he was a farm boy from Kentucky who dearly loved God and his family.

Prior to serving 20+ years in the United States Air Force, Tom graduated from Russellville High School in 1950 and the University of Kentucky in 1954 with a BS in Agriculture. While at UK, he met the love of his life Ruth Frances Williams with whom he spent nearly 69 years in wedded love and devotion. Tom joined the Air Force which took the newlyweds to England, where their first and second children were born, Florida, where he attended Florida State University while working on a degree in Meteorology, and then moved to Alaska, where their third child was born. The Air Force sent the family to Illinois where Tom and Ruth welcomed their fourth child. Tom enrolled in Texas A & M University where he earned a Masters in Computer Science (1969) and a PhD in Industrial Engineering (1971). They also had their fifth and final child while in Texas.

After leaving active duty with the Air Force, Tom was a professor at Youngstown State University from 1971-1975 while serving in the Air Force Reserves, from which he retired as Lt. Colonel in 1976. The family moved to Roswell, Georgia and resided there while he worked for Republic Steel, American Software, and taught at Georgia Tech before beginning his final career path with MITRE Corporation which had Tom working for NASA in Houston, Texas and McClean, Virginia and then with the military in San Antonio, Texas and, finally back to Northern Virginia. He retired from MITRE in 1996.

In spite of all of his moves, Tom was an active and dedicated church member and loyal and enthusiastic bass singer with the choir. He served as a deacon, Sunday School teacher, missions worker, volunteer, and chaperone for many different church events. Some of his longest attended churches include Second- Ponce de Leon Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, Fredericksburg Baptist Church, Fredericksburg, Virginia, and, finally, First Baptist Church of Augusta, Georgia.

Tom had a self-deprecating wit and was always up for a good laugh. Most of his jokes earned as many groans as they did chuckles. He loved to serve those in need which he did so selflessly. He had a soft spot for animals, especially his pets and grandpets. And he really, really loved his wife Ruth.

Tom was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, son, brother, uncle, and son-in law.

He battled Alzheimer's and vascular dementia for several years, with Ruth as his primary caregiver. The family gives heart-felt thanks to his caregivers from the last two years: Barbara Turner, Bea Boles, Lynn Thigpen, and Yvonne Thomas, and Helping Hands Hospice.

In addition to his wife Ruth, his family members include his children: Melinda Jones of Fredericksburg, Virginia, Cory Herndon of Decatur, Georgia, Mark (Sue) Herndon, of Tampa, Florida, Tim (Debbie) Herndon, of West Lebanon, New Hampshire, and Amy Herndon of Augusta, Georgia, his fourteen grandchildren; his nine great-grandchildren; and his sister: Thetus Smith of McMinnville, Oregon, as well as many nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held Friday, August 22 at 11:30 a.m. at First Baptist Church of Augusta in the Storey Chapel with Rev. Will Dyer officiating, with visitation at 10:30 a.m. at the church prior to the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to First Baptist Church of Augusta, 3500 Walton Wy Ext, Augusta, GA 30909, the Alzheimer's Association, or Golden Harvest Food Bank of Augusta, GA.