Thad Tew

August 6, 1938 - November 1, 2011

Mr. Thad Tew, age 73, and a resident of Prospect, TN passed away Tuesday, November 1, 2011 at his residence.

Mr. Tew was a native of Barbour Co, Alabama and son of the late Berley Isaac and Nellie Griffin Tew. He moved to Birmingham, Alabama, as a teenager where he spent most of his life. He served in the National Guard, was of the Baptist faith, and worked as a sheet metal worker in the aircraft industry at Hayes International in Birmingham. He also owned Tew Heating and Air Conditioning as his second job.

The family is holding a Memorial Service on Sunday, November 13, 2011 @ 3 PM at Ann's Store; located at the junction of Highway 31 and 273. Heritage Funeral Home is assisting the family and in charge of the arrangements.

Like many, Thad's day could not begin, nor move forward without coffee. He is remembered as a man who was comfortable in his faith and with his relationship to his Master, loving people and thinking of them long before himself. Thad was an avid outdoorsman who loved nature and the peace it provided. In providing for his family, he often worked more than one job to see to it that they not only had the things they needed, but also had the things they wanted. He attempted to live each day and make each day special. Thad wasn't one for special holidays. "He made each day special," his wife recalls, "by providing and spoiling his loved ones throughout the year with gifts and the amount of time he devoted to relationships. His daughter says, "He taught me the morals and values of life and believed that a lady should be treated as a lady with dignity and respect." His widow, Carla, recalls him as an "overcomer" of illness and adversity and "stubborn to a fault." When they first met, she remembers how she was drawn to his humor and sarcasm. "He was a sensitive man." The man who loved God, family, country, and his neighbors will be missed by those who knew him. His faith is now fulfilled in the presence of his Creator, whom he lovingly called "The Old Master."

Left to cherish him memory are his wife, Carla Wessling Tew of Prospect, TN; a daughter: Cindy (Jed) Tew Walker of Madison, AL; two sisters: Carolyn Borden of Pueblo, CO and Betty Laird of Adamsville, AL; a brother: Howard Tew of Leeds, AL; three grandchildren; and the mother of his only child, and former wife of 43 years: Geraldine Dollar of Madison, AL.

Along with his parents, Thad was preceded in death by five brothers; Loyd, Carlton, Monroe, Lamar, and Rod Tew.

Thad's life will be honored and celebrated in a private service by his family and friends.

You may share condolences with them at www.tnfunerals.com Heritage Funeral Home, 609 Bear Creek Pike, Columbia, TN is in charge of the arrangements.