Roll Call Tribute

Thomas Ross Conner 

November 22, 1934 - August 26, 2024 

Graveside services will be held for Thomas Ross Conner, 89, of Kilgore 1:00pm Saturday, September 21, 2024, at Kilgore City Cemetery with Rev. Bill Blanks officiating under the direction of Rader Funeral Home in Kilgore.

Tom was born in Longview, Texas and grew up in West and East Texas. Tom was a 1954 graduate of Kilgore High School and served in the US Navy deploying submarine detection buoys from the back of Navy aircraft. He married Virginia Hunter in 1957 and attended Texas A&M University, graduating in 1961 with a degree in civil engineering. For the next 30 plus years Tom Conner had a distinguished career with the US Army Corps of Engineers and the US Department of State. He and his family were witnesses to, and sometimes participants in, historical events in Europe, Asia and the Arabian Peninsula. He completed his federal government service in Washington D.C. Upon retirement, Tom and Virginia returned to East Texas where he taught mathematics at Trinity Valley Community College, was a docent at the East Texas Oil Museum and member of the Kilgore Historical Preservation Foundation Derrick Committee. After Virginia’s passing, Tom later married Renee (Routon) Conner and they lived in Kilgore for more than a decade until her passing.

Teller of tales, most true, some tall, and none short, Tom was a practitioner of the “no detail is too small”, a firm believer in the “humorous sidetrack”, and an expert deployer of the surprise morality tale that encouraged kindness, learning, personal resilience and the power of love. Stories of his childhood featured dear friends Jerry Turner, cousin, Bobby Taylor, Edwin Rast, and Jerome Cadrin. Stories of working at the circus and hopping freight trains as a boy, and his father’s mysterious employees Smoky & Joe, for whom a 14 year old Tom would flip a coin at dinner time in the bunkhouse to determine who would be first to use a set of false teeth they had purchased together from a pawn shop.

He was a loving son, a doting husband and father, a generous grandfather and great-grandfather. He was the ideal example of a man, strong and courageous, kind, a great listener, counselor and above all, loved Jesus Christ as his personal Savior while instilling his deep faith on his children and others.

He’s proceeded in death by many loved ones including his parents, Calvin and Jaunita Conner, his sister June Wyatt, his wife Virginia Conner, second wife Renee (Routon) Conner, and his grandson Sam Conner. He leaves behind a loving family including his brother & sister-in-law, Mike & Karen Conner, his children and their wives Chris & Polly, Ross & Janice and Judd & Sharon, Renee’s children Michelle (& Darrell), Mack (& Cheri), Kelly (& John), and their children. He leaves behind grandchildren Maddie, Joe, Ross (and wife Stacy), Michael, Jake (and wife Dani) and Kylie (and husband Buddy). His great-grandchildren include Esther, Piper, Ellie, Virginia, Sawyer and 3 more on the way. He also leaves behind a tremendous number of beloved cousins, nieces, nephews and a brother-in-law Danny & wife Carol.

A friend to all, Tom, Tommy, Pop, Papa, Great-Papa Conner will be missed so greatly by so many that loved him and were made better because of his love for them. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of Tom’s favorite charities – The Wounded Warrior Project, Folds of Honor, and Tunnels to Towers Foundation.