Obituary of Charles T. (Tom) Snead

Charles Thomas (Tom) Snead was born on October 24th, 1925, to Robert Edward and Sarah Geraldine Snead, who lived with Tom's grandparents in Roodhouse, Illinois. Tom's parents divorced when he was still a toddler, and he and his sister, Marilyn, continued to live with, and were raised by, their grandparents, Dr. Charles Rainey Thomas, and Mary Lida Thomas.

Dr. Thomas died during the Great Depression, when Tom was only 12 years old, and Tom started working after school and on Saturdays for the town's butcher, sweeping the wood shavings from the floor each evening, for a nickel. At the end of the week, the butcher would give him a thin slice of round steak to take home to his grandmother. It was often the only meat they had for the week.

Tom had his first taste of flying when a barnstormer came to Roodhouse one autumn. After flying around doing aerial stunts, the barnstormer landed his plane in a farmer's field, and began selling rides to the townspeople for a quarter. Tom had a quarter, saved from his job, and he took his first airplane ride, with his Grandma Thomas running behind the plane as it took off, hollering, "Don't you go up in that airplane, Tommy!" He avidly loved flying for the rest of his life.

When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Tom was only 16 years old, but he knew what he wanted to do: become a Navy fighter pilot. He graduated from Roodhouse High School in 1943 while attending Illinois College in the Naval Aviation V-5 program. Though he was only 17 years old at the time, he had finagled a way to enlist in the Navy. He served in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters, and eventually made it to flight school, earning his wings while serving with Fighter Squadron 112.

Tom met Zelma Bell while he was stationed in Jacksonville, Florida, and they married in May 1948. They were then stationed in San Diego, California. When they finally left the service in 1950, there were no pilot jobs available, so they moved to Urbana, Illinois to go into business with his aunt. For the next 18 years, Tom and Zelma successfully operated laundries, drycleaning services, and car washes, and raised three daughters. Tom was an active member in the Masonic Lodge, VFW, Amvets, the Urbana Golf and Country Club, and the First Baptist Church of Urbana. He was a charter member and President of the National Association of Laundry and Drycleaners.

Tom and Zelma sold their business and home in Urbana in 1968, and moved the family to Winter Park, Florida. They joined Calvary Assembly, and he traveled as a salesman for General Advertising Co. and later was a District Manager for Advance Schools, Inc. His last sales job was as the New Car Sales Manager for Norman Brothers Nissan. Zelma died in January 1988, and Tom, devastated by her loss, retired. After a short time of being retired and alone, though, he decided to take a retirement job as a bus driver. That led to a job he had for 12 years, until he was 82 years old, in Transportation at Chambrel Retirement Home in Longwood, Florida, driving the buses and vans to transport people who were often younger than himself.

A few years after Zelma's death, he had sold his home in Winter Park and moved to Zellwood Station, a retirement community nestled around a golf course. There he met a widow, Delphine (Dolly) Grey. Though they grew to love each other deeply, they never married because of religious and family reasons, but they were constant companions until her death in 2019.

When he was 95 years old, Tom took his last flight as a pilot, on a flight simulator at Lockheed Martin. The simulator was custom programmed to fly like the F8F Bearcat that he flew in the Navy, and, with the delighted staff looking on, for one last time he did barrel roles, swoops, and dives in the joy of being airborne.

Tom spent his last years living first with his granddaughter, Christina, and her family and then finally moving into assisted living at Savannah Court in Orange City, Florida. After a long life, well lived, he died shortly before midnight on Monday, June 26th, 2023, of natural causes.

Tom is survived by his three daughters and their families:

Marsha Newsom (husband Marshall Newsom), and her children Nicole Holsclaw, Joshua Bridge, Jessica Andriacco, and David Adkins. Deborah Laferriere (husband Ronald), and her children Aaron Laferriere, Janeal Bowers, Rachael Laferriere and Byron Laferriere. Brenda Cook (husband Thomas), and her daughter Christina Etchison.

Tom is also survived by thirteen great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.

Naval Aviator Tom Snead in his F8F Bearcat.

Tom in his Navy Dress Whites

At 93rd Birthday Party Riding the Bronco at Texas Roadhouse

Selfies with Hospice Nurse Valerie