Thomas A. Forrester, Sr.

Thomas Allen Forrester, Sr passed away peacefully on Sunday, December 26 at his home in Wilmington, NC. He was 87. He was born on April 27, 1923, in Greer, South Carolina, the son of the late Thomas Luther Forrester and the late Beulah Henson Forrester. He grew up in Greer, where he met and married his lifelong sweetheart, Ruby Sudduth Forrester. They were married 66 years. He was very proud of having served his country as a Sergeant in the Marines during World War II. After the Marines, he worked in the textile industry, serving as a supervisor. He had a lifelong passion for cars, especially 1931 Model A Fords. In 1992, he started building the first of the six Model A's that he would build and restore. This first one was a Woody Station Wagon. Not satisfied with just this one, he then built a wooden Delivery Wagon. Next he restored a 1931 Coupe and a 1931 Sedan. After moving to Wilmington in 2004, he decided to attend the boat building class at Cape Fear Community College, where he built a Model A Traveler Wagon, which was also wooden. He was the oldest student at CFCC at that time. When he was not at CFCC building the Traveler, he was at home working on his 1931 Model A Roadster. Surviving are his wife, Ruby; sister, Edna Westmoreland; children, Ronald B. Forrester and wife Leslie, of Houston, Texas; Janice Forrester Alexander and husband John of Wilmington; Thomas Allen Forrester Jr. and wife Allison, of High Point, NC; and Karen Forrester Pierce and husband Bill, of Charlotte, NC; grandchildren, Chad, Travis, Sonya, Shera, Thomas, Aldridge, and Sanders; great grandchildren Zach, Cade, Phoebe Kate, and Renee. He also especially loved his step granddaughter and her husband, Jennifer and Todd Elgart of Wilmington; step granddaughter Michelle Lovelace of Spartanburg, SC; and his step great grandchildren, Madeline and Sarah Elgart; Hank and Will Lovelace of Spartanburg Visitation will be Tuesday, December 28 at 7:00 p.m. at The Wood Mortuary in Greer, SC. A funeral service and burial will be held at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Greer, SC on Wednesday, December 29, at 2:00 p.m. A memorial service will be held in Wilmington at Seagate Baptist Church at a later date. Memorials may be made to Lower Cape Fear Hospice. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.thewoodmortuary.com

Thomas A. Forrester, Sr.

April 27, 1923 - December 26, 2010