Thomas Albert Hereford, Jr., 72, passed away quietly and comfortably at home on Monday, January 1, 2024, after a long battle with cancer. He joins his parents, Margaret and Thomas Hereford, Sr., and beloved pups, Cocoa and Toby, in heavenly residence and is survived by fiancée, Deborah Keller; daughter, Maggie Hereford; sister, Carolyn Eike (Mike); nephews, Paul Eike (Valerie) and David Eike (Julie); along with extended family and many cherished friends.

Also known as Dad and Tommy, but Tom to most, he was born and raised in Birmingham, AL. Growing up he enjoyed scouting and attained the rank of Eagle Scout. He earned an engineering degree at Auburn University and a graduate degree in management from the University of South Florida. Engineering brought Tom to Pensacola where he would live the rest of his life and remain a die-hard Auburn fan across all sports and academia.

In young adulthood, Tom lived for adventure and spent weekends and vacations windsurfing, sailing, scuba diving, and snow skiing any chance he could. He loved telling stories of trips to Mexico, the Florida Keys, and the Rocky Mountains taken with dear friends. In 1988, Tom became a proud father and instilled his values of hard work, sense of adventure, love of the mountains, and insatiable sweet tooth in his only child, Maggie. Tom and Maggie enjoyed working on school projects, visiting theme parks, and attending football games together.

Tom met Deborah in 2014 and they quickly became an inseparable pair, building a network of mutual friends and a spiritual support system at church. They celebrated life together at the highest capacities and enjoyed visiting galleries, museums, and local restaurants, along with any activity outdoors. Their mutual love and support endured as Deborah cared for Tom through declining health and enabled his wish to be cared for in his home of over 30 years.

Tom was a proud and active member of the First Baptist Church of Pensacola for several decades where he also volunteered locally and participated in international mission trips. He continued to snow ski with family as long as he was able, enjoyed golfing with friends, and cycling with Deborah. Tom was a music lover as well, loved attending live shows, and never failed to sing along to a Jimmy Buffett tune. He is remembered as a loving partner, father, brother, uncle, and friend, with an infectious smile, sharp wit, and cunning intellect.

A visitation will be held 1:00pm until a Funeral Service begins at 2:00pm Monday, January 8, 2024, at First Baptist Church, Pensacola, with Dr. Dave Snyder officiating. A graveside service will be held at 1:00pm on Wednesday, January 10, 2024, at Elmwood Cemetery in Birmingham, AL where he will be laid to rest next to his parents.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution in the memory of Thomas A. Hereford, Jr. to one of the following charities: MD Anderson Cancer Center Foundation, P.O. Box 4486, Houston, TX 77210-4486 ( https://gifts.mdanderson.org ) or to The Thomas A. Hereford Endowed Scholarship, Auburn University Foundation, 317 South College St., Auburn, AL 36849 ( https://auburn.edu/giving ).