Services will be postponed to a later date.
Thomas Mayer Little passed away in Frisco, Texas, on October 15, 2019 at the age of 83. He was born on December 21, 1935 to John W. and Eulalia (Mayer) Little in Columbus, Ohio, and grew up in Peoria, Illinois.
After graduating from Northwestern University, Thomas proudly served his country in the United States Navy as a Public Information Officer, stationed in New York City.
After the Navy, Tom went on to a career in Public Relations that spanned thirty years; he worked with firms in Chicago, Dallas, and especially in Manhattan, where he spent the majority of his well-respected career. He took great pride in his work and excelled in the many roles he held – beginning as a young, eager account executive, moving on to become a vice-president at Philip Lesly Company in Chicago, and rising over the years to hold positions as president and general manager with Foote, Cone & Belding; Manning Selvage & Lee; TJ Ross, & Associates; and Golin / Harris Communication.
Tom married Susan Mulford, the love of his life, on September 29, 1959, in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. Tom and Sue met at Northwestern University, and for the rest of their lives they remained close friends with dozens of their classmates. Tom and Sue attended Homecoming Reunions regularly, and rooted faithfully for their Wildcats — even during the years when they didn’t have much to root for! Tom especially cherished his SAE brothers and their families, and several of these great friends stayed in touch with him and checked in on him through the final weeks of his life. A photo of Tom's SAE brothers held a place of honor in his room, right alongside the photos of Tom and Susie and their children.
Great friends were a hallmark of Tom and Sue’s 59 years of marriage. Each of them brought to their marriage a set of friends from their childhoods; together, they made lifelong friends in college, and then developed new friendships in every community in which they lived — Winnetka, Illinois; Mt. Kisco and Chappaqua, New York; North Dallas; Hilton Head, SC; Wilmington, Vermont; and Sarasota, Florida. With their friends, Tom and Sue enjoyed visits and dinners; golf games, sports events, mixing drinks, and telling stories. And always, there was laughter.
One of the greatest legacies that Tom and Sue passed on to their four daughters can be summed up by these words from an old song: "Make new friends, but keep the old; one is silver and the other gold."
In addition to modeling the importance of friendship, Tom and Sue provided their daughters and grandchildren with wonderful opportunities and left them with countless memories of family time along the North Shore of Lake Michigan above Chicago; at Harsen’s Island, on Lake St. Clair; of catching fish at Indian Lake, Ohio; of skiing and playing cribbage in the Green Mountains of Vermont; and splashing in the waves at ocean beaches from the Florida Keys to Cape Cod.
Tom is survived by his daughters, Carin Pilon and husband, Chris; Debbie Causey, and Patti Little Scott; nine grandchildren: Chris Mitchell and his wife, Rachel; Brittany Causey; Lisa Causey Bauman and her husband, Blake; Kara Causey; Will Pilon and his wife, Nathalie; Teresa, Annamarie, and Andrew Pilon; and Nicolette Scott. Tom and Sue also leave five great-grandchildren, Lydia Sharon and William Wallace; Christian and Keegan; and Chloé.
Just six months before his own death, Tom lost his beloved wife Suzie on Easter Sunday, and he missed her keenly during the months he endured without her. Surely they are reunited in Heaven, once again enjoying together the company of many dear friends and beloved family. Tom was also preceded in death by his parents, his brother Jack, and his precious daughter Sharon.
A dual inurnment of Tom and Sue will be held at Ridgeview Memorial Park, 2525 Central Expressway North, Allen, Texas.