BROOKLET -- Thomas Allen Hickman, age 72, passed away July 12, 2024, at his home in Brooklet, Georgia. He was born one of seven children in Burke County, Georgia, to his loving parents, Willie Warren Hickman and Evangeline Long Hickman of Girard.
Thomas attended Sardis-Girard-Alexander High School, where he became an avid baseball player until he broke his leg sliding in to home plate right before his graduation in 1970. Fifty-four years later, several members of his baseball team, as well as former classmates, joined him for a reunion lunch on his 72nd birthday two weeks prior to his unexpected death.
During high school, Thomas followed in his three older brothers' footsteps, working at Buxton’s Grocery in Sardis, Georgia, where he became a skilled butcher, and worked for several years at Winn-Dixie in Savannah. Thomas later worked for Great Dane in Savannah, Georgia, as a tool library manager until its closing and then worked for Millworks & Supply Inc. until he retired in 2021.
In 1976, Thomas married Joan Cline Hickman of Augusta and was a devoted husband for 45 years. Over the years, they fostered severely abused children and were seasoned volunteers for the Special Olympics.
Thomas had a love for dogs, especially the Shar-Pei breed, which provided him with over 40 years of blue ribbons and trophies at dog shows throughout the south. Thomas' latest companion was a nine-week-old Shar-Pei puppy named Wilma.
Thomas was always an avid Braves and Falcons fan, archer and motorcycle enthusiast as well as a master gardener of hybrid roses and tomatoes.
He worked and bought his first motorcycle at just 16 years old and was still a bike enthusiast until his recent second retirement in July of 2024.
He was a Mason and a member of the Clinton Masonic Lodge 54 in Savannah.
Thomas is preceded in death by his loving wife of 46 years, Joan Cline Hickman; parents, Willie Warren Hickman and Evangeline Long Hickman; siblings, Donnie Hickman and Raleigh Hickman; sister-in-law, Janette Waters Hickman; and brothers-in-law, Ben Cowart and Marvin Saxon.
Thomas is survived by his siblings, Hazel Cowart-Saxon of Savannah, Cecil Hickman (Rebecca) of Waynesboro, Helen Davis (Dr. Billy) of Hephzibah, Wanda White (Stephen) of Girard; sisters-in-law, Eva Morris Hickman (Donnie) of Baxley, Shirley Cuevas Hickman (Raleigh) of Long Beach, Miss.
Although Thomas and Joan never had children of their own, they loved to spoil their three generations of nieces and nephews.
Thomas’s love and compassion for children was expressed by leaving his entire estate to be divided equally between St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, Shriners Hospital for Children and the Masonic Children’s Home of Georgia.
A memorial service was held at Deal Funeral Directors in Statesboro on July 20, 2024.
Memorial contributions can be made in his memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at https://www.stjude.org/donate/donate-to-st-jude.html; Shriners Hospitals for Children at https://lovetotherescue.org/; or Masonic Home of Georgia at https://https://masonichomeofgeorgia.com/donate.
Statesboro Herald, July 31, 2024
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