Thomas Leon Graves

Thomas Leon Graves, known as Tom, was born on September 19, 1937, in Hereford, Texas. He was the sixth child of nine children. He had three older brothers, Bill, Bob, and John; two sisters, Patricia and Pansy; and three younger brothers, Haskell, Jim, and Alvin. His parents were Robert L. Graves and Delphia Ann Hamiter Graves.

In addition to his parents, Tom was preceded in death by his brothers Bill, Bob, John, Haskell, and Jim; his sisters Patricia and Pansy; his oldest son, Mark; and his granddaughter, Rachel. He is survived by his wife, Margaret, and his younger brother, Al, of Fresno, California. Other survivors include five children, thirteen grandchildren, twenty three great grandchildren, and three great great grandchildren.

Tom’s earlier years were spent in Texas, South Carolina, Oklahoma, and California. In October 1955, he entered the United States Air Force. After basic training, he served at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana; Bitburg Air Base in Germany; Castle Air Force Base in California; Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska; and Charleston Air Force Base in South Carolina, where he retired after twenty four years and eight months of military service.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, April 16, 2026, at Thompson Funeral Home, located at 4720 Augusta Road, Lexington, South Carolina. Visitation for family will begin at 9:00 a.m., followed by visitation for friends and family at 10:00 a.m., with the funeral service beginning at 11:00 a.m. Tom’s grandsons will serve as pallbearers. Following the funeral service, burial will take place at 1:00 p.m. at Fort Jackson National Cemetery, located at 4170 Percival Road, Columbia, South Carolina, where Tom will be interred with military honors.

For those unable to attend, the service will be streaming live via the following link:

https://client.tribucast.com/tcid/f26046547210681