Thomas Oran Oates

THOMAS ORAN “TOM” OATES

HEADLAND, AL… Thomas Oran “Tom” Oates, a resident of Headland, Alabama, passed away Friday evening, December 29, 2023, at a Dothan hospital. He was 88.

          Funeral services will be held 11:00 A.M. Thursday, January 4, 2024, at Fellowship Baptist Church with Reverend Tim McCraney and Reverend Hollis Ritter officiating. Burial with military rites will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5:00 until 7:00 P.M. Wednesday night, January 3, 2024, at Wright Funeral Home & Crematory. Wright Funeral Home & Crematory is in charge of the arrangements.

          Flowers will be accepted or memorial contributions may be made to the Fellowship Baptist Church Cemetery Fund, 5651 AL-27, Newville, Alabama 36353.

          Mr. Oates was born near Sutton, Nebraska, to the late Orville Oran Oates and Hazel Jo Elofson Oates. He was drafted into the United States Army in 1957 and served until 1965. His service to our country included two tours of Vietnam as a helicopter crew chief and door gunner. He received seventeen air medals amongst other decorations and awards, including one with valor. During his service he had been deployed and lived in various locations in the U.S. and overseas, prior to settling to the Danzey Community of Henry County, Alabama. Mr. Oates was employed and retired from Dyncorp, at Ft. Rucker, Alabama, as a helicopter Maintenance Foreman. After his retirement, he was employed by the Henry County Board of Education, as a school bus driver and retired again after twenty-five years. He was a board member of the Henry County Board of Education from 1984-1990. He also served on the Henry County Water Authority as president for many years. He recently was rewarded the Henry County Board of Education Person of the Year Award for 2022-2023. In earlier years, he was active with the Headland Pee Wee Football Association , as well as the City of Headland youth baseball teams. He was a proud member of the Bradley Keller Post of the American Legion. He was a member of the Fellowship Baptist Church in Newville, Alabama.

          Along with his parents, he was also preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy “Dot” Danzey Oates; his brothers, Robert Oates and Gary Oates.

          Leaving to cherish his memories is his daughter, Wendy Oates Gay (Walter); his sons, Jeff Oates (Kelly), Mike Oates (Hermoin), and Troy Oates; his sisters, Mary Riley and Ora Adler (Dr. Jerry Adler); his sisters-in-law, Betty Oates and Marilyn Oates; his grandchildren, Colby Gay (Tatiana), Megan Freeman (Jai), Jessica Sapp, Kaitlin Poirier (Dr. Jonathan Poirer), Sidney Tipton (Scooter), Melissa Oates, Heather Oates, Brandon Oates, Shelby Oates, Mallory Harvill; his eighteen great-grandchildren; and his numerous nieces, nephews and friends.

          Serving as active pallbearers will be Dr. Jonathan Poirier, Colby Gay, Brandon Oates, Jai Freeman, Hunter Sapp, Devin Griffin, and Scooter Tipton. Serving as honorary pallbearers will be the members of the Bradley Keller Post of the American Legion.  

WRIGHT FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORY

Phone 334-6WE-CARE (693-2273)

www.wrightfuneralhomeandcrematory.com

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