Thomas Matthew Slightom, 89, of Carlinville, died on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022, at 3:50 p.m. at HSHS St. John’s Hospital in Springfield.
Visitation will be held Saturday, Oct. 15, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Litchfield Family Funeral Service. Funeral services will follow, beginning at 1 p.m. at the funeral home with Pastor Timothy Barbee, minister of the Christian Church of Litchfield, officiating. Burial will be held at Elmwood Cemetery in Litchfield.
Mr. Slightom was born June 20, 1933, in Gillespie, to Miles Franklin and Esther Loretta (Whitfield) Slightom. He married Ruby Roberson on Oct. 20, 1953, in Litchfield, and she preceded him in death on Aug. 6, 2003.
He served in the U.S. Air Force for four years and was stationed in Virginia during the Korean War.
Upon his immediate return from the service, Mr. Slightom began working as an airplane mechanic for McDonnell Douglas and General Dynamic and traveled to several different missile sites.
He then transitioned to a John Deere tractor mechanic and later farmed in the Macoupin County area. He raised livestock and hogs and was a grain farmer.
Mr. Slightom enjoyed bowling, golfing and gambling. He was a proud story teller of his “Hole in One” at the Litchfield Country Club, a story he always told to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
He is survived by his daughters, Patricia (Tony) Brooks of Greenville, Pamela (Don) Volentine, Paulette (Denny) Prange, Penny (Rod) Grosenheider, all of Litchfield, and Peggy (Craig) Wise of Springfield; grandchildren, Megan, Aaron, Kim, Dale, Josh, Jake, Joe, Holly and Tommy; 16 great-grandchildren; one great-great-granddaughter and one on the way; sisters-in-law, Mabel Bell and Lavern Slightom; and several nieces and nephews.
In addition to his wife, Mr. Slightom was preceded in death by his nine brothers and sisters, Donald Slightom, Dean Slightom, Donnis Pettijohn, Dwight Slightom, Dwayne Slightom, Darrell Slightom, Cora Wolff, Shirley Carroll and Carol Boehme; and one great-grandson, Grayson Junk, in infancy.
Memorials may be directed to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Wounded Warrior Project.
Online condolences to the family may be left at www.litchfieldffs.com.
