Thomas Lynn Wight

A Life Lived Well

April 18, 1947 to October 25, 2019

Thomas Lynn Wight, our brother, uncle, and friend passed away on October 25, 2019 at University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) Jennie Sealy Hospital in Galveston, Texas from the sudden onset of a previously undetected medical condition. Tom was born in Joplin, Missouri on April 18, 1947 to our Mom, Alethea Marie Andrew Wight and our Dad, Walton Talbot Wight. Tom had two older brothers, Talbot Andrew (Drew) Wight and James Ward (Jim) Wight.

Tom was challenged all of his life with Cerebral Palsy. As a small child in the late 1940's he had severe  hearing loss and could not sit up, walk, talk, and do the physical things that most other children his age could do, and in small town America in the late 1940's the doctors didn't know why Tom wasn't developing as expected. In 1949 our Dad got a new job in Dallas, Texas, and our family moved to Dallas. In Dallas, our parents met new doctors and leaned that Tom had Cerebral Palsy, and Tom and our parents were introduced to the Dallas Society for Crippled Children. From intense effective therapy and training at the Dallas Society over several years and from unlimited never ending commitment from our Mom and Dad to help him, in the 1950's Tom did learn to sit up, walk, talk and do all of those physical things that he could not do as a two year old when he first began treatment at the Dallas Society. As the years in the 1950's and 1960's went by, Tom's physical abilities did greatly improve, and although his hearing remained severely limited all of his life, he always had a very good intellect. He attended regular schools in Dallas and with a lot of hard work graduated from Dallas N.R. Crozier Technical High School in 1967 at age 20.

Tom began a long business career in the late 1960's and worked for about 30 years with microfilm equipment that copied and inventoried a large volume of invoices in the factoring departments of banks and companies that specialize in factoring. Factoring is where banks and other businesses buy or loan money on the accounts receivable of businesses, and proper maintenance of documentation of invoices supporting those receivables is critical. Tom loved his work, was very proud of his job, and he rarely missed work. He was much loved and respected at work. Co-workers appreciated his efficiency and great attitude, and noted in a 1978 article about Tom in a company publication that he always rode the bus from his apartment to arrive at work by 7:30 AM. In 1974 co-workers gave a small puppy to Tom, a miniature daschund named Heidi. Because Tom was still limited in his physical abilities, Heidi lived all of her life with Mom and Dad, but she was always loved by Tom, and he looked forward to seeing her during visits with Mom and Dad. During his working years Tom first lived at home in Dallas with Mom and Dad. Tom learned self-reliance, and in the early 1970's our parents set Tom up in his own apartment in Dallas. In 1977 Tom was doing very well in his apartment, and after our Dad had been retired for a couple of years, our parents move from Dallas to Nevada, Missouri, the town where Dad was born and grew up. In the 1930's Mom and Dad met in Nevada and married there, so they were "going home". By 1977, brother Drew still lived in Dallas and Jim had moved to Houston from Dallas in the mid-1960's. From 1977 to 1997 Tom lived in his apartment in Dallas, and during those years he saw Drew in Dallas, had many visits to Dallas from our parents, many visits of Tom to see Mom and Dad (and Heidi when she was alive) in Nevada, and visits with Jim in Houston. He even took vacation trips on his own with traveling groups during those years. It is important to note that during those years he basically took care of himself, worked, and even saved money.

By early 1997 Tom had lost his job in Dallas, and his physical abilities had begun to deteriorate. He began to have difficulty walking, first using a cane, then a walker, and then a scooter to get around. Our parents were always lovingly devoted to Tom's wellbeing, but in 1997 Mom and Dad were in their late 80's and had limited ability to help Tom. Drew had just then moved from Dallas to Las Vegas for a new job, so Tom moved to Houston to be close to Jim. For the next 22 plus years in the Houston/Galveston area Tom continued to live independently in his own apartment and for the last two years in his own apartment at a nice assisted living facility. In his apartment he used a scooter to go from room to room and used handicap devices such as floor to ceiling poles and grab bars to transfer from his scooter to his easy chair, to bed, and in the bathroom. He did all of his cooking in the years prior to moving into the assisted living facility. He needed more help during the 22 years with groceries, doctor appointments, banking, etc., but he was still taking care of most of his needs. It is important to note that during all of his life Tom always had a great attitude and always maintained a good intellect and those qualities continued during those 22 plus years in the Houston/Galveston area.

After moving to Houston, Tom learned to use computers and loved to communicate with his many friends on Facebook. He kept up with brothers, nieces, nephews, cousins and many other friends including Bob Casteel, a buddy since high school days. Tom enjoyed watching sports, going out to eat, getting a pedicure and his finger nails trimmed at a friendly nail spa in Galveston. He always wanted photos of those enjoyable events and posted the photos on his Facebook page.

About a month before he died Tom entered UTMB Jennie Sealy hospital for treatment of a non-life threatening medical condition. That treatment was successful, and from the hospital Tom was moved to Bayou Pines Care Center, a nice nursing home in La Marque, TX for further help. We were working toward Tom moving his permanent residence from the assisted living facility to the nursing home. We thought Tom was in pretty good health, and looked forward to getting him set up to live at the nursing home. He was adapting well. One week before his death, my wife and I visited Tom at the nursing home and he took us to the physical therapy room there to introduce us to the people here who had been working with him. Tom's death was not expected. He went back to UTMB Jennie Sealy Hospital on Wednesday, October 23 with a previously undetected life threatening medical condition and he passed away there on Friday morning October 25. During that last stay in the hospital he slept quietly constantly surrounded by loving family. He receive very loving care from the hospital staff in very nice modern facilities.

It can be said that even though Tom always had significant physical challenges, he lived his life well - he was always moving ahead with a good attitude. It has occurred to me that Tom never sinned and never did a mean or stupid thing in his life, so as a Christian man meeting Jesus in heaven he went to that meeting in really good standing. In heaven his earthly bonds have been removed, so he can do all of the physical things he could never do in this life. I can see him joyfully greeting Mom, Dad, and other loving family members who already there, and I think there is a good chance Heidi has come to find him to go out to run and play.

Tom never married. He is preceded in death by our Mom and Dad, nephew Matthew Wight, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins. He is survived by brother Drew Wight, from Salt Lake City, Utah, brother Jim Wight and wife Pam from Missouri City/Galveston, Texas, niece Jennifer Fiedler and husband Steven and their children Emily, Kaylie, and Travis from Missouri City, Texas, nephew James Wight and wife Carolyn and their children JT, Levi, and Evalyn from Conroe, Texas, nephew Aaron Wight and wife Jennifer and their daughter Averi from Salt Lake City, Utah, nephew Christopher Wight and wife Rena and their children Michael and Noah from Japan, Morgan and Madison, the daughters of Matthew Wight, and numerous wonderful cousins.

There will be a Celebration of Life get together in Tom's honor on Friday, November 29, 2019 at the Sienna Plantation Golf Club, 1 Waters Lake Blvd., Missouri City, TX 77459 between the hours of 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM. Family and friends are invited to join us.