Thomas Ross Gatlin

Thomas Ross Gatlin, 82, of San Angelo passed from this life February 17, 2019 with family at his side. Tommy was born in San Angelo on March 9, 1936 to parents Gordon and Ruth (Richards) Gatlin. He graduated from San Angelo High School in 1954. In 1958, he met Mary Martin at First Baptist Church, and they were married in April of 1960. They were blessed with two children, James and William. Growing up in the golden age of hot-rodding, he spent much of his time as a teenager working on his roadster, a 1931 Ford, built on a 1932 frame with a flathead V8. In the mid 1950s, he and several friends organized one of the first (legal) drag racing events, held near Mathis Field. In 1958, he began his 36 year career with General Telephone. Tommy’s inquisitive mind led him to several different jobs within the company, from repairing rotary dials, to an equipment installer and a switching technician. In 1964, he began rebuilding a 1949 Ford Pickup that he drove for over 53 years. Tommy loved to tell people that his daily driver was built in the first half of the last century. In 1965, while still working for GTE, he and two friends opened The House of Yamaha on S Chadbourne and enjoyed road racing their 100 TwinJet all over the state. They sold the business in 1968. In the early 1970s, during construction on DFW airport, he relocated his family to Irving so he could supervise a crew wiring the American Airlines terminal. He returned to San Angelo in 1974 when the airport opened. For the rest of his career, Tommy enjoyed the new challenges of digital technology, and retired in 1994. After he retired, his desire to learn kept him busy. He began building computers, designing and etching his own printed circuits for his many projects, and spent time with his family. Tommy was a member of First Baptist Church for most of his life and was a quiet and humble servant of the Lord. He was also a member of Masonic Concho Lodge 1260, raised to a degree of Master Mason in 1969. Tommy is survived by his wife Mary; his children and their spouses, James (Denise) Gatlin of San Angelo; William (Belinda) Gatlin of San Angelo; grandchildren Joanna Gatlin and fiancé Alex Garcia of Round Rock; Thomas Mitchell Gatlin of San Angelo; and Kelsey Gatlin of San Angelo. Also surviving are his brother-in law Bill Spraggins of San Angelo along with nieces, nephews, a cousin, and his Siamese cat, Xena. Tommy was preceded in death by his mother and father, his step-father Tom Bennett, his sister Leigh Ann Spraggins, and numerous aunts and uncles and cousins. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, February 20th, from 6:00 – 8:00 PM at Harper Funeral Home. Graveside service will be held on Thursday, February 21th, at 2:00 PM at Fairmont Cemetery. The family would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to the staff at Park Plaza Nursing and Rehabilitation Center for their care and compassion. Tommy’s favorite piece of advice is: “Don’t get old.”