Tom was born on January 24, 1949 in Harlan, Kentucky and graduated from high school in Clarksdale, Mississippi. Being an avid scholar, he received a BA with Honors in English from Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes College), and a Masters of Divinity from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Austin, Texas. He also received a BS and an MS in Electrical Engineering from Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
Tom and Joan married in 1971 and had two children, Tiffany and Tommy Jr. They spent time in North Carolina and South Carolina before moving to Texas in 1980.
Tom enjoyed several careers over the years including being a Presbyterian minister and youth pastor (leading churches in both North and South Carolina), an Electrical Engineer, (working at Rockwell International and SyCom Technologies) and Teaching (science at Community High School and advanced math, engineering, and robotics at Colin College). He retired from Collin College about five years ago to enjoy traveling with his wife, Joan.
He loved cooking, music, science, reading, fishing, and the Texas Rangers. Over the years, he led many a children’s sermon with his handkerchief church mouse and was musically inclined, playing the trumpet, recorder, and handbells at church. He was a dedicated father ensuring he was at every event Tiffany or Tommy had and then continuing to enjoy most of the activities with the grandkids. He took every opportunity to brag on his family to anyone who would listen.
Tom was preceded in death by his mother Christine and father William A. Mobley, and sister Elise Mobley Hale.
He is survived by his wife, Joan Mobley of Princeton, Texas; daughter Tiffany Barnfield (husband Allen and children Karter [wife Rachel], Jordan, Kailynn, Tristen, Kaden and Kamden) of Princeton, Texas; son Tommy Mobley Jr. (wife Paula and children Hannah, Ryan and Chloe) of Wylie, Texas; great grandson, David Barnfield of Princeton, Texas; and sister Peri Neale (and husband David of Little Rock, Arkansas). While Tom had many titles in his lifetime, he was most proud of his title, “Grampa”.
A funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, December 6, 2022 at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home, 2525 Central Expressway North, Allen, Texas. Interment will follow at Ridgeview Memorial Park. The family will receive friends during a visitation on Monday evening from 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. at the funeral home.
Please feel free to add a touch of Texas Ranger's attire to your wardrobe for this celebration of Tom's life and his passing into our Lord's presence. Tom will be wearing his Ranger's jersey as will several family members. Whatever you feel most comfortable wearing, whether Ranger's clothes or nicer attire, is fine.
The service will be livestreamed at https://celebrationoflife.tv/blog/thomas-mobley-sr. After the service, the recorded livestream will be available at the same link location.