Having completed his earthly ambitions of love and care of his family, and service and dedication to his country, Tommy Lee Vickery, passed away May 22, 2015. Tommy was born on November 24, 1930, to Nettie and Frank Vickery.
He was a member of the Beaumont High School Parallel Bar Team and graduated in 1949. As a young man he enjoyed the outdoors, loved fishing, camping, hunting, and hiking. He was also active in Boys Scouts and participated in many scouting activities culminating in a mountain climbing excursion in Acapulco, Mexico.
At the age of 19, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps, assigned to the 1st Marine Division, stationed in San Diego, California, with a specialty in communications. Later, he was assigned to the 1st Recon Company, whose mission was to serve as an underwater demolition team, which was a forerunner to today’s Navy SeALS. He served on the USS Horace A. Bass (APD-124) during the Korean War. Tommy was wounded in the line of duty at Koto-Ri Chosin Reservoir when temperatures hovered near forty degrees below zero. He earned the Navy Occupation Services Medal with Asiatic Clasp, Bronze Star Medal with Combat “V”, Purple Heart, Navy Unit Commendation, and Presidential Unit Citation. In 1991, he was awarded the Korean Service Medal with three Bronze Stars.
In 1951, the young Marine married Agnes Basco. Following his military services, he began a forty-one year career with Dresser-Ideco Industries.
Tommy is survived by his wife, Agnes; children, Vicky L. Brocato and her husband, Jerry, of Conroe and Becky Vickery Thomason, of Huntsville; grandchildren, Tara Brocato-Thomas and her husband, Chris, of Beaumont; Megan Brocato, of Conroe; Greg Brocato and his wife, Alison, of Virginia Beach, Virginia; and Clayton A. Thomason, of Huntsville; great-granddaughter, Sofie Thomas; brothers, Harry Vickery and Phil Vickery; sisters, Kitty Hebert, Pattee Newman, and Cynthia Stock; brother-in-law, Irby Basco; sister-in-law, Olive McLaughlin; and numerous nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by his parents; brother, Arthur P. Vickery; and son-in-law, Richard P. Thomason.
The family wishes to express their gratitude to Dr. Suresh Indupalli and staff of Second Advent Medical Center in Beaumont.
A gathering of Mr. Vickery’s family and friends will begin at 10:00 a.m., with his funeral service to follow at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, May 26, 2015, at Broussard’s, 2000 McFaddin Avenue, Beaumont. His interment will follow at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Beaumont.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org or to Wounded Warrior Project at warriorproject.org.
Semper Fidelis
