Thomas Holloman Boone

Thomas Holloman Boone was born September 22, 1930 in Itta Bena, Mississippi and died surrounded by his loving family, in his Ocean Springs home, on Sunday, July 8, 2018 at the age of 87. Tom, as he was known, is survived by his daughters Kathy and Beth, and their sons, Patrick, Kaleb, and Thomas. He was married for 62 years to the love of his life, Edna, who passed away in July 2016. Tom grew up in Memphis, TN, one of five children of Wesley and Hattie Boone. He was an honor scout, an enthusiastic fisherman and a gifted athlete, winning many trophies throughout his youth, for swimming and diving; he was the Golden Glove Boxing champion for the Southeast, and played football in high school and college. Tom received his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi and his Master’s Degree in Theology from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. A lifelong educator and environmental and social justice activist, Tom was also a Marine and a Veteran of the Korean War. He forged a bold and fearless path in life, working side-by-side with his beloved wife Edna, to advance causes of civil rights, peace and social justice, and for a healthy and sustainable natural environment. For 23 years 1967-1980, Tom was the Executive Director of LAOS, Layman’s Overseas Service, a not-for-profit, ecumenical organization working with volunteer professionals on issues of peace and social justice worldwide. Ten of those years with LAOS were spent in the Washington DC area where Kathy and Beth spent their formative years, exposed to art, other cultures, and political activism. In 1980, he and Edna moved back to Mississippi to the Gulf Coast where he began the next phase of his professional career as an educator at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Over the course of the next 20 years, and into his retirement, Tom worked tirelessly and passionately to affect positive change in the Gulf Coast community. He was a popular and beloved professor at the Jackson campus of MGCCC, impacting countless students and opening their eyes to the realities and challenges of the way people live around the world, and encouraging his students to go out into the world and make a difference. Tom embodied the mantra “Think Globally, Act Locally,” in every day and in every aspect of his life. Living up to his name, Tom was a true pioneer, and long before it was a trend to do so he built an environmentally friendly home with solar capabilities. He founded The Mississippi Gulf Coast Recycling Center, the first of its kind in the area, and was part of the leadership team of the “Take Pride Gulfwide” Mississippi Gulf Coast Cleanup project- which was awarded first place in the national Public Lands Day ceremonies in Washington DC. By example, he taught and lived out care for the earth and responsible and loving compassion to all humankind. His daughters, Kathy and Beth, wish to thank his caregivers, Alice Walsh, and Winnifred McLeod for their loving care of their father. A memorial service in celebration of the life and legacy of Tom Boone will take place at the family home on Saturday, July 14, 2018 at 5 PM. Please call Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home, Ocean Springs, MS for information.