The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

Thomas D. "Tommy" Bourgeois, 90, of Bridge City, passed away on Sunday, May 26, in Cedar Park, Tx. Funeral services will be at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, May 30, at St. Paul United Methodist Church in Bridge City, with the Rev. Brad Morgan officiating. Burial will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens near Bridge City. Visitation will be Wednesday, May 29, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at St. Paul United Methodist Church.

Tommy, the second of nine children, was born in Orange, on April 29, 1923 to V.W. and Ada Bourgeois. He graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Port Arthur in 1941. He was a World War II veteran having served in the Merchant Marines. Following his military service, he began a nearly 40-year career at DuPont Sabine River Works in Orange. During this time he met and married Bettye Welch, and they had five children.

Following his retirement in 1985, Tommy and Bettye traveled around the Midwest, serving several years as national park hosts. They were also very active at St. Paul United Methodist Church, and sang with a group of retirees called the “Primetimers” for a number of years. Following Bettye’s death in 1997, Tommy continued his service at St. Paul and enjoyed attending many of his children’s and grandchildren’s activities. Tommy was always a good listener, and a good friend who liked to visit friends and relatives, and regularly checked up on people in the hospital. He was an avid golfer and enjoyed playing at area golf courses with his brothers.

Tommy was preceded in death by his parents; his wife Bettye; and brothers Richard, Robert, Murphy, Albert, James, and George (Scotty) Bourgeois, and sister Mary Vivian Hlavinka.

He is survived by his brother Jerome (Jerry) and his wife Agnes Bourgeois of League City, children Lisa and Douglas Havens of Bridge City, Mark and Pam Bourgeois of Beaumont, Timothy Bourgeois and Mary Knight of Pearland, Nancy and Mark Sawyer of Cedar Park, and Emily Bourgeois of Pearland. Tommy is also survived by six grandchildren: Darrin and Andrew Havens of Bridge City, Cole and Jake Sawyer, and Laci Dougharty of Cedar Park, and Jordan Bourgeois of Beaumont, as well as two great-grandchildren, Ava and Elijah Sebring.

Pallbearers will be Darrin and Andrew Havens, Jordan Bourgeois, Cole and Jake Sawyer, and Joe Wojnarowski. Honorary pallbearers will be the Men’s Class at St. Paul United Methodist Church; Dwayne Duncan, and Laci Dougharty.

The family would like to offer special thanks to Dora Johnson and Martin Nwankwo, Tommy's caregivers while living at his home; the staff at the Isle at Cedar Ridge in Cedar Park, and Hospice Austin.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Paul United Methodist Church in Bridge City.