Thomas Wade, Jr.

Thomas S. Wade, Jr. was born February 4, 1946 in Little Rock, Arkansas, to Thomas S. Wade, Sr. and Julia Mae Haver Wade. He graduated from Hall High School. During his years in Little Rock he was very active in the Boy Scouts of America, reaching the rank of Eagle Scout and being accepted into the Order of the Arrow. After high school Tom attended Oklahoma State University earning a Bachelor of Science Degree. During his college years he was active in the Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity.

Tom was a long time member of the Christian Church serving as Deacon, Elder and Chairman of the Board.

Tom began his work as a farmer working summers for various individuals including Gene Simons, Sam Reneau, Norvel Ronck and Tom Riley, gaining valuable information which served him well in his years of active farming. His work as a farmer was rewarded by being selected Oklahoma Young Farmer of the Year as well as being selected for the Oklahoma State University Oklahoma Agricultural Leadership Program. The selection for the OSU OALP included a trip down the Amazon in Brazil in 1986 researching various foreign farm programs and methods.

Life was not all work! In 1974 Tom and Linda Miller were married in Wakita. They began their married life in Germany where Tom worked for American Express for two years which gave the couple the opportunity to tour Europe.

Tom was an active member of the Wakita Community serving as Mayor and as a member of the Wakita Board and also as a volunteer for Wakita Community Health Care Center. One other area was working for the Northern Oklahoma Development Authority as the Director of the Area Agency on Aging.

Tom had one more love - his Corvettes! From that love came his membership in the Corvettes of Enid where he won awards at their annual Expo. This love included many club trips which would be a procession of many (25 or more!) Corvettes making a remarkable impact on the people they passed and the cities they went through. A sight to be seen!

Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas S. Wade, Sr and Julia Mae Haver Wade.

He is survived by his wife, Linda, of 44 years; his sister and her husband, Sallie and Gene Spillman; sisters-in-law Nancy (Dan) Wilson, Karen (Cranston)  Reid,  Beth Ann (Richard) Young and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral service for Tom will be Monday, April 23, 2018 at First Christian Church in Wakita at 2:00 p.m. with burial to follow in Wakita Cemetery.  Arrangements are by Lanman Funeral Home, Inc. of Medford.  Viewing will be Sunday at the funeral home in Medford 3:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. with the family present. www.lanmanmemorials.com  Facebook:  Lanman Funeral Home Inc.

Memorials may be made to Wakita Community Health Care Center through the funeral home.