Charles Thomas George

Charles Thomas George, known as Tommie and Tom, was born in Wetumka, OK in 1936 to Bill and Reinette George. Two months shy of his 84th birthday, on October 25, 2020, Tom passed peacefully in his sleep in Tulsa, OK. In his final year of illness, he simply longed for peace; we are grateful that he now knows peace.

Tom grew up in Wetumka and then Okmulgee with his parents and his two sisters, Linda and Jane Ann, until age 11, when he lost his mother to cancer. This painful loss would shape him for the rest of his life.

He and his sisters then moved to Holdenville to live with their grandparents, Charles and Jesse Baskin. His grandfather, known as Judge Baskin, served as an Oklahoma District Judge, as the city attorney for Wetumka and Holdenville, and as a state legislator. Tom’s grandparents were a huge positive influence on him, teaching him hard work, humility, love and kindness. Tom graduated as a Wolverine from Holdenville High School in 1955.

Tommie and his sisters reunited with their father as teens, moving to New Mexico, where he attended New Mexico State University, and then to California. In 1960-62, he served in the U.S. Army, and in 1966, he earned his private pilot’s license. He was fascinated with cars, planes, cameras and other machinery. Point to any car or plane, and he would name its year, make and model.

The family eventually settled back in Oklahoma City where he met and married Brenda Jones, had a daughter, Reinie, and built a successful 35-year career in the car business, serving mostly at VW, Porsche and Audi dealerships. He enjoyed many wonderful times with family and friends during these years.

Tom was highly regarded in business for his dedication to putting people first. He earned several awards for excellence in quality and customer service. As one customer wrote in a letter to the dealership owner, “Tom has treated me better than any person at any other dealership I’ve done business with.”

In the early 2000s, he reunited with a longtime friend, Janis Welch, and they married in 2003. Janis and Tom began a happy new chapter together in Lawton, OK, where Janis had lived and worked as a schoolteacher since the 1950s. This is also where Tom joined the Men’s Baptist Builder group, meeting some of his favorite buddies in life.

While Tom was the biological father of one child, he served as a father figure and friend to many. He led his life through love, caring and respect for others, which is one of his greatest contributions. He was a sensitive and insightful listener, which made him an excellent friend. He loved to laugh, striving to keep life lighthearted, always. Even in his days of illness, he was a favorite among nurses and doctors, always making everyone smile.

Tom is survived by his wife, Janis George, of Tulsa, OK, and her children and families, Ann-Mary Hartman and her son Jack Hartman of Lawton, OK, and Stacy and Patrick Herring, and their daughters Harper Herring and Garner Herring, of Tulsa, OK; and his daughter Reinie George of Dallas, TX.

He will live in our hearts as one incredibly unique and special guy. We will miss you so much, Tommie. May you enjoy the peace you’ve earned over a long, happy life.

Tom requested no service; in memory of him, please consider a donation to any of the following Tulsa-based organizations that were an integral part of Tom’s life and supported him in his final days: St. Francis Hospice Care, Clarehouse or Asbury United Methodist Church.