Thomas Lee Tucker

Thomas Lee Tucker, 81, retired band director and resident of Loftin Road, died Wednesday, December 2, 2015 at Maury Regional Medical Center. Funeral services will be conducted Saturday at 1:00 P.M. at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home with Pastor Angy Trimmer officiating. Military honors will be provided by Herbert Griffin American Legion Post 19. The family will visit with friends Friday from 5:00 - 8:00 P.M. and Saturday after 11:30 A.M. at the funeral home. The family suggests memorials to Maury County Community Band, P. O. Box 1676, Columbia, TN 38402, Central High School Band, 921 Lion Parkway, Columbia, TN 38401, or Whitthorne Middle School Band, 915 Lion Parkway, Columbia, TN 38401. Condolences may be extended online at www.oakesandnichols.com. Born July 20, 1934, he was the son of the late Gilbert Lee Tucker and Ethel Maude Brown Tucker and grew up in Shelbyville, Tennessee. He graduated from Shelbyville Central High School where he was on the basketball team and a member of the band. He attended Middle Tennessee State University where he was Drum Major of the Band of Blue and conducted the ROTC Band. After his marriage to Carolyn Smoot in 1957, he served two years in the U. S. Army at Fort Bliss, Texas. After fulfilling his military obligation, they moved to Columbia; and he spent a year as Assistant Director of the CHS Band under the late Tom Hewgley. The next year he took over the Whitthorne Junior High School and Central High School band programs. That was the beginning of a long successful era for him and a continuation of excellence in the programs. Under his co-leadership with Bill Hull, the CHS Band became a nationally recognized Marching and Concert Band program, winning the Contest of Champions three times, as well as receiving the Inaugural Governor's Cup as Tennessee State Champions. He was blessed to be able to influence the lives and musical talents of thousands of young people-many who have discovered successful careers in music performance and music education. Mr. Tucker was well-known for his skill at arranging music and writing innovative marching drills. He had served as clinician and contest judge in states across the South. He was instrumental in the formation of the Maury County Community Band and conducted that organization for several years. As owner of Custom Flags, he saw banners and flags flying across the country that were manufactured in Columbia, Tennessee. Mr. Tucker was Past President of Middle Tennessee School Band & Orchestra Association, and a member of Tennessee Bandmasters Association, National Band Association, Band of Blue Hall of Fame, Tennessee Music Educators Association Hall of Fame, Music Education National Conference, Phi Beta Mu, and a lifetime member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. He was a member of Craft Memorial United Methodist Church. Survivors include his wife of fifty-eight years, Carolyn Smoot Tucker of Columbia; sons, Gary Lee (Kathy Rich) Tucker and James Edward "Jim" Tucker, both of Columbia; daughter, Sharon Lynn Tucker of Columbia; grandchildren, Douglas Lee Tucker of Cedar Park, Texas, Robert Jordan Tucker and Molly Elizabeth Tucker, both of Summertown; brother-in-law, Jerry Smoot of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma; and several nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his brother, Charles G. Tucker, during the Vietnam War. Active pallbearers will be Bill Hull, Phillip Brown, Jerry Smoot, Eddie Duckworth, Rick Murphy, and Douglas L. Tucker.