Mr. Tommy Joyce Williams

April 24, 1942 - August 6, 2019

Funeral services for Mr. Tommy Williams, 77, of Carthage, Texas will be 2:00 p.m., Saturday, August 10, 2019 at Hawthorn Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. David Baze and Rev. Tyler Stevison officiating. Burial will follow in Adams Cemetery under the direction of Hawthorn Funeral Home. Visitation will be 6 – 8:00 p.m., Friday, August 9, 2019 at the funeral home. Mr. Williams passed away peacefully on August 6, 2019 at his home in Carthage. Mr. Tommy Joyce Williams was born April 24, 1942 in the Logan Community of Panola County, Texas. He was born to the marriage of Robert Francis Williams and Emma Joy Baker Williams. Tommy attended Carthage schools until his family moved to Austin where he graduated from Austin High School with the Class of 1960 and later graduated from the Kilgore Police Academy. He married Linda Ann Cockrell on November 21, 1964 and together they celebrated 54 years of marriage and raised three children in a loving Christian home. Mr. Williams worked as a police officer for the Carthage Police Department in his early years, plant manager at Louisiana-Pacific and later retired from United Gas pipeline. He also served as a volunteer fire fighter with the Gary Fire Department. Mr. Williams was a member of Faith Assembly of God Church where he served as a Deacon for many years. He served on the board of the Beckville Housing Authority, and the Panola County’s Children Advocacy Board. He also was a member of the Carthage Masonic Lodge, the Scottish Rites and El Karuba, and serviced as president of the Panola County Shriners. Mr. Williams’ enjoyed spending time with his family and attending church activities. He enjoyed Nascar – he even built his own race car he raced at Boothill Speedway. He also enjoyed riding motorcycles with the Carthage Christian Motorcycle Club, in Shriners parades, and with his wife Linda. Mostly, he always loved eating dessert first, especially his wife Linda’s homemade chocolate pie. Mr. Williams is preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Mavis Estelle Williams Donald, Frances Emma Jane Williams Green and her twin babies; brother, Bobby Joe Williams and niece, Martha Joy Donald Soape. He is survived by his devoted and loving wife, Linda Williams of Carthage; loving children, son, Tommy Joyce Williams II and wife Jessica of Farmington, NM; and daughters, Joyce Williams Patty and husband John of Gary and Melinda Joyce Williams of Ft. Worth; six grandchildren, Christy Wahl and husband Matt of DeQuincy, LA, Bridgette Stevison and husband Tyler of Harrisonburg, LA Cody Williams and wife Leslie of Carthage, Chloe Law and husband Bobby of Idalou, Justin Williams of Lubbock and Austin Williams of Farmington, NM; eleven great grandchildren, Londyn, Mattie, Tatum, Saydee, Sophee, Ava, Amelia, Adelae, Hayes, Emerson and Hadley. Also surviving Mr. Williams are his nephew, Dr. Ben Donald and wife Dr. Susan Donald of Carthage; great nieces, Rachel Jones, Rebekah Soape, Sarah Soape, Erin Harvey and Emily Donald, as well as many other relatives and a host of friends. Serving as pallbearers will be the Panola County Masons and the Carthage Police Officers. The family would like to thank his loving caregivers, Bethany Home Health, Texas Home Health, Ms. Stella and Ms. Juanita, as well as a special thanks to their church family at Faith Assembly of God and to all the churches that prayed for their sweet daddy. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Shriners Hospital for Children or Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. In honor of their dad who recently celebrated his 25th heart transplant anniversary on July 27, 2019, the family would like you to please consider being an organ donor.