Tommy Culton, age 79 of Normangee, Texas, was welcomed home into the arms of the Almighty on December 15, 2025. Tommy, also known as “Papa,” was born to Raymond Culton and Ruby Tucker Culton on September 10, 1946. He attended Carter G. Woodson High School and by the time of his graduation, had earned a Basketball State Championship title as number 35 for the Normangee Woodson Dragons.

At age 18, Tommy answered the call for service to his country by entering the U.S. Army. He was deployed to Vietnam and served as a Combat Engineer with the 14th Engineer Battalion. After serving, Tommy was honorably discharged. He remained proud of his military service throughout his days.

Tommy began working at Gaylord Container in 1968 and retired after nineteen years. In July 1969, Tommy married Kathleen Trahan in Liberty, Texas, where they raised their five children.

In 1990, Tommy began a new career as a truck driver, and owned TC’s Trucking until his retirement in 2008. Tommy would remain in the Liberty area until moving back to Normangee in 2017.

In 1985 he converted to Catholicism and remained devout in his beliefs the rest of his life. He felt at home in his church family, first at Our Mother of Mercy Catholic Church in Ames, Texas, and most recently at Saint Thomas More Catholic Church in Normangee, Texas.

True to his farming heritage, Tommy could raise and grow anything he set his mind to. He showed his children the art and science of gardening, raising chickens and pigs, and tending cows. He always had at least one dog, and one of his joys in his latter years was his pond full of catfish that he raised from tiny little fry. He taught us the basics of auto maintenance and was fond of reminding us to “maintain the equipment” to keep things in good running condition.

Tommy had a deep and abiding curiosity about the world and how things worked. He had a unique perspective in solving problems and somehow made even mundane things an opportunity for learning. From a child's point of view, he was the most interesting person in our small life. He possessed a very specific sort of wisdom, rarely seen over the years, which allowed him to process most things in a very practical kind of way. With that wisdom, there wasn’t much he couldn’t decipher and make it make sense to himself, and those around him. It’s with that wisdom that he always found the way to get from where he was to where he wanted to be.

He taught us to not take things at face value because someone shined it up and made it sound fly, but to make sure that we could process it, ensuring that there was at least some validity to it. Like when the show on PBS about the cosmos was saying what the distance was from earth to such and such, he asked the question, “How’d they measure that?” He taught us how to play, showed us the art of storytelling, and created a language of his own.

Tommy was preceded in death by his parents, Ruby Tucker Culton and Raymond Culton; his brothers, Archie Culton, Ray Culton, and Billy Culton; and his sisters, Artensia Campbell, Inez Green, Shirley Bolton, and Erma “Jean” Thomas.

He is survived by his brother, Ernesto Culton (Maria); his sister, Peggy Culton Burnett; his two sons, Tommy Culton, II (Gena), and Ian Culton (Kelli) and his three daughters, Nicole Culton, Colleen Culton, and Ashley Culton. In addition are his grandchildren: Victor Trahan, II, Brandon Trahan, Bronwyn Culton, Trayen Culton, Sadie Culton, Cade Culton, Camden Culton, Cason Culton, Ellis Culton-Wilkins, and his great-grandson, Cooper Trahan, as well as numerous nephews and nieces, cousins, extended family and friends.

Tommy Culton was one of one, and his absence will echo through all time. We celebrate the time we had with him on this side, and look to meet him again at a time of God’s choosing.

A service in honor of Tommy's life will be held 11 A.M., Friday, December 19, 2025, at St. Leo the Great Catholic Church, Centerville, Texas. Father Joseph Lourdusamy will officiate the service. Interment will follow in St. Leo the Great Catholic Cemetery

Pallbearers: Tommy Culton II, Ian Patrick Culton, Tony Summers, Brandon Trahan, Kenneth Culton, Cason Culton

Honorary Pallbearers: Victor Trahan, Trayen Culton, Cade Culton, Camden Culton, Cooper Trahan

Final arrangements are entrusted to Walters Funeral Home, Centerville, Texas -- A Walters Family Funeral Home.