Thomas Anderson McWillie Jr.

On Saturday, May 4, 2024, Thomas Anderson McWillie, Jr. passed away, at the age of 83, in his home in Conroe, Texas. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Donna; his 3 children: Thomas Anderson McWillie, III (Andy), Dixie, and Jonathan; 3 grandchildren: 4 great-grandchildren; as well as his sisters, Patti and Sue.
Born on October 15, 1940 in Birmingham, Alabama to Francis Skinner and Thomas Anderson McWillie, Sr., he was a proud alumnus of Mississippi State University, graduating in 1962 with an agricultural degree. He worked for over fifty years in the chemical and oil & gas industries, becoming one of the earliest Certified Safety Professionals in the new area of the Safety & Health profession. After officially retiring twice, once from ARCO Pipeline and finally from Merisol, he served as an industry consultant for several years.
His work took him around the United States: Baton Rouge, LA, Marion, VA, Cleveland, TN, Houston, TX where he met his wife Donna, Independence, KS, Owasso, OK, where he owned and operated a John Deere lawn & garden dealership, and finally back to the Houston, TX area where he lived for over 30 years.
Tom was also an avid cruiser and traveler, having taken over 40 cruises to various ports of call around the world with his wife, Donna. They had also visited Europe on several occasions with their friends Jay and Pam, Don and Marilyn, but his favorite destination of all was Israel. He was fascinated with the account of the Six Day War in the Golan Heights. While in Israel, he was also baptized in the Jordan River, the highlight of the trip.
Tom was active in his local metal detecting club and for years went out every Saturday morning to detect with his hunt buddies Carl and Jack. He also loved shipbuilding. He was a 2-time award winner of the Carnival Cruise "ship-on-a-stick" for building a ship using found items in port and laying around the room. At the time of his death, Tom was working on a model of the WWII era PT-109. After moving to Conroe in 2021, Tom enjoyed playing bridge, poker and Mah-Jong with the neighbors at the local neighborhood clubhouse.
He will be greatly missed by his family, friends and his three cats.
A memorial service will be held on May 18th at 1pm at WoodsEdge Community Church student building at 25333 Gosling Rd., Spring, TX 77389.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or Boys & Girls Country in Hockley, Texas.