Thomas Byron “Tom” Crocker, 52, of Austin, died Friday, September, 27, 2013, at Seton Northwest Hospital, Austin. He was born in Emporia, Kansas, on July 23, 1961, to Ann Kathleen Duggan Crocker and Byron Gray Crocker.
Tom marched to a different drummer; from the time he was three or four years old, he was a character. His favorite outfit included cowboy boots (from his rancher grandfather), short pants, a corncob pipe in his teeth, and a straw hat with little animal attachments. One of which was a little skunk which he called his skunk hat.
Never too interested in scholarly pursuits, Tom’s favorite classes were always gym and recess. He liked to sit by the window in class so he could observe God’s creations. Reverend Dean Calcote, the Headmaster at All Saints Episcopal School got to know Tom when he was in the eighth grade because he was frequently sent to the office along with Gene Hughes and Dan Cherry for various non-academic infractions.
He was generous to a fault, and often loaned money or the shirt off his back to his friends.
Tom loved to travel. When he was eighteen years old, he spent a month with his father in Europe. He paid his own way, but he didn’t want to spend more than eight or ten dollars for a bed and breakfast. Even back in 1979, that didn’t afford more than a seedy youth hostel or pension.
In 1987, Tom joined his family on a wonderful trip to China. His cousin, Jim Bass married a beautiful Chinese doctor named Joug Hong. They visited Beijing, Sheng and Shanghai. Tom loved the museums and antiquities. In Shanghai, when his family spent an hour or two in a wonderful museum, Tom stayed for three or four hours. He bought a Moa jacket and a beautiful Chinese decorative screen that measured 6 by 8 feet, which he still had proudly displayed in his home.
One of Tom’s greatest adventures was once taking fifteen months to travel around the world. He had worked for the State of Texas for five years, then quit his job, withdrew his accumulated retirement funds and with his paternal grandmother’s financial assistance, left by himself. A friend had planned to travel with Tom, but at the last minute dropped out. He went on alone, but his family knew he was street smart and knew how to watch his back. Tom would call his parents every other Sunday, except when he was in India and Napal. Eventually he called a week late, and while his parents were naturally frantic, he explained that it was not easy to find a phone in Napal.
Tom is survived by his parents, Ann and Reverend Byron Crocker of Beaumont; brother, Mason Lee Crocker and his wife, Darla, of Sarasota, Florida; nephews, Robert Byron Newmann and Matthew Crocker; and nieces, Madison Crocker and Mackenzie Crocker.
A memorial service for Tom will be 2:00 p.m., Friday, October 4, 2013, at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 680 Calder Avenue, Beaumont. A gathering of his family and friends will immediately follow in the Cloister at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, under the direction of Broussard's, 2000 McFaddin Avenue, Beaumont.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 680 Calder Avenue, Beaumont, Texas 77701 (www.stmarksbeaumont.org); St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church (www.ststephensbmt.org), 4090 Delaware, Beaumont, Texas 77706; or to Alzheimer’s Association, 700 North Street, Suite M, Beaumont, Texas 77701(www.alz.org).
