W. Thompson "Tommy" Thorn III

THORN W. Thompson III "Tommy," as he was known by his friends, son of Tom and Katherine Thorn, passed away at his home May 11, 2009, at the age of 61. Tommy was devoted to his family, a loving father and grand-father, a mentor to many, and a trusting and welcome friend to everyone who knew him. The son of a pioneering U.S. Navy and Pan American Airlines pilot, Tommy was born in the summer of 1947, grew up in Virginia and graduated from James Madison High School, Fairfax, Va. A championship baseball player and knock-out curve ball hitter, he went to St. Andrew' s Presbyterian College in Laurinburg, N.C., on an athletic scholarship. He graduated from college in 1969 and, eschewing the minor leagues, moved to Washington D.C. with the love of his life and future wife, Martha. Desiring a better life and embarking on a career in law that would carry him and his family throughout his days, Tommy and his bride, who was with child, left behind the nation' s capitol and moved to St. Petersburg, Fla., to start a new life in the community where Martha had grown up. Surviving the first few years living with his mother-in-law, Gaga, Tommy and Martha went on to have two children, Wray and Ali, who grew up in Belleair, Fla., where his family still lives today. Transitioning from humble beginnings working with the City Public Works Department while completing his degree, Tommy graduated from Stetson University of Law in 1974 and achieved some prominence in the local legal community, practicing law and being active in charitable and community activities for over 35 years. Tommy worked principally in Tampa, in private practice, founding a successful law practice with several partners and then going to build a meaningful corporate and transaction practice with Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, where he remained until 2006. He then left Shumaker Loop to form a Tampa office for South Florida-based Shutts & Bowen before once again gathering his entrepreneurial energies and beginning his own practice, Thorn Whittington, in 2008, with longtime friend and partner, Angelina Whittington. Along the way, Tommy fostered and developed numerous significant and lasting client and colleague relationships, that over the years resulted in a number of his closest longtime friendships. Tommy had an exceptional appetite for giving that was evidenced by his numerous charitable activities, including serving on the executive committee and as general chairman of the annual PGA Championship Tournament in the Tampa Bay area, raising record amounts for local charities, as well as helping to organize the Brooks-Debartolo Collegiate High School and establishing a substance abuse program for members of the Florida Bar Association. And although he opted against a career in professional sports, he never lost his passion for competitive athletics and was an avid Bucs fan, hardly ever missing a game, where he could be found in the same east-side seats with multiple generations of Thorn family members in tow. Over time he added the Lightning and Rays to his list of loves. He was also a founding member and past president of the Outback Bowl, the annual New Year' s Day college football bowl game held in Tampa. Second only to the Bucs, Tommy loved the game of golf, which he learned from his father and subsequently passed along to his son and enjoyed with his son in law over the years. Despite great effort, he never quite achieved his goal of playing all 100 of the top courses in the U.S. during his life time. Tommy was a generous and giving father, husband and friend, a man of deep Christian faith and a believer in positive spiritual influence. He was always one to help out a family member or friend, new or old, and always willing to take on someone else' s problems as his own. Even in the most trying of times, Tommy gave everything he had to his loved ones and to those around him and will be remembered dearly by those who survive him, his wife, Martha; his son, Wray and his wife, Melissa, and their son, Wray Thompson Thorn V (Thompson); his daughter, Ali, and her husband, John; and their son, Jack; his mother, Kitty; his sister, Terry and her husband, Bill, and their daughter, McEwen. Friends may call 5-7 p.m. Friday, May 15, at the funeral home chapel. A funeral service will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 16, in Tommy' s honor at the family' s longtime church, First United Methodist Church of Clearwater, 411 W. Turner St. A reception at the Belleview Biltmore Hotel celebrating Tommy' s life and family will follow. In lieu of flowers, Tommy' s family has asked that donations be made to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Tampa Bay, Inc., a not for profit organization. Donations in Tommy' s memory may be made online at www.ncaddtampabay.org Moss-Feaster Funeral Home, Serenity Gardens Chapel, Largo Fla. (727) 562-2080