Mr Thomas Bledsoe Jr's Obituary
Mr. Thomas “Capt. Tom” Bledsoe, Jr passed away Friday, June 5th 2015. He was born February 28th, 1926 in California, Missouri, the son of Fern Hessie and Thomas Bledsoe and been a resident of San Angelo since 1960. He retired in 1964 from the US Air Force after 17 years service, and had served in the US Army and US Navy during World War II and Korea. He then began working at Wisconsin Barge Lines as a deckhand before retiring as Chief Engineer pushing barges up and down the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers for over 20 years. For a period of time, he and his wife Zelda, the mother of his children, owned and operated Zelda’s Lounge, in San Angelo. After retiring from the barges, Capt.. Tom then started a lawn care business in San Angelo, Texas that he operated up until the age of 87. He was proud to say he had been sober for the past 10 years. He is preceded in death by his mother, Fern Hessie Bledsoe, and father, Thomas Bledsoe, a son, Butch Bledsoe, and stepson, Rusty Southard He is survived by his daughter, Cathie Partain and her husband, Jimmy of Bakersfield, CA; daughter, Zelda Barslow and her husband, Bill of Grand Prairie, TX; daughter, Carrel Arey and her husband, Jay of Abilene, Texas; son, Robert Bledsoe of Los Angeles, CA; stepdaughter, Kim Bell of Christoval, TX; and stepson, John Hyatt of Hurst, TX, brother, David Bledsoe and his wife Hazel of California, Missouri; sister, Sharon Ash and husband, Don of California Mo, and Shirley Connell, & husband, Leroy of Nixa, Mo; 14 Grandchildren; 21 Great Grandchildren and a Great Great Granddaughter. He is also survived by his special friend and former wife, Vicki Bledsoe of San Angelo, and a number of friends.
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