Tommie Willas Heard passed from this life on Tuesday, January 17, 2012, at his daughter's home in Holdenville, Oklahoma. He was 74 years of age.

Tommie was the son of Arnold Alvin Heard & Dortha Belle (Trammell) Heard, born on November 16, 1937 in Kaufman County, Texas. He was brought up in Kaufman County and attended Crandall schools. He joined the U.S. Marines in 1954 and was discharged in 1958. He lived in Kaufman County and Dallas County, and spent most of his adult life in the Dallas area.

Tommie was fortunate to be able to do exactly what he wanted, and enjoyed life to the fullest. As a young man he managed a gas station in north Dallas, a popular place where people liked to hang out and Tommy enjoyed visiting with them. He later became a heavy equipment operator, his occupation for most of his life. He loved the outdoors, hunting and fishing, guns and boats, horses and dogs. He loved his church, Liberty Baptist Church of Gun Barrel City, Texas, where he was a very active member. He took care of the church lawn, and took every opportunity to help fellow church members with odd jobs. He enjoyed dancing, and liked spending time at the 49er's Club, a dance club for older people who were, like Tommie, forever young at heart. He left us too soon, after a short battle with cancer, but left us with countless beautiful memories we will treasure always in our hearts.

He is preceded in death by his mother, Dortha Burk and his son, Randy T. Heard.

He is survived by his daughter, Tammie L. Phillips and her husband, Leroy, of Holdenville; three grandchildren: Tracy Caddell of Kemp, Texas, Willie Brown of Kemp, Texas, and Brad Brown of Dallas, Texas; five great-grandchildren: Miranda, Elizabeth, Macie, Heyden and Miley; various other family members and many, many friends.

Funeral services were held on Saturday, January 21, 2012, 1:00 p.m. at Liberty Baptist Church in Gun Barrel City, Texas, and Tommie was laid to rest in the Pleasant Grove Cemetery in Combine, Texas. Rev. Dennis Woods was the officiating minister. Pallbearers were Willie Brown, Brad Brown, Freddie Inmon, James Knight, Mike Canada and Frank Kohurek.