Paul Thomas "Tom" Wall

Paul Thomas "Tom" Wall died Jan. 7, 2013, one day short of his 74th birthday, at Ocean Springs Hospital, leaving behind many friends and a life of work to better his adopted home, the Mississippi Gulf Coast. From the moment he drove down the front beach in 1976 his mind was set. "This is it," his wife and sons remember him saying. "We're going to retire here." He did more than retire. This Indianapolis native and 22-year U.S. Air Force veteran devoted himself to his family and to making Biloxi the best possible place to live, work and play. That work came on multiple non-profit boards and through almost 20 years service on the Biloxi City Council. He served three times as president of the city council and was a former president of the Edgewater Rotary Club. He received awards for service from the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Gulf Coast, the American Red Cross and Rotary Foundation of Rotary International and other service groups. He was also a 32nd degree Mason and a Shriner. He bet his life and livelihood on the area, starting several small business. Perhaps the best known is Classy Chassis Car Wash. Hurricane Katrina wounded his spirit but not his resolve. The city would return to its former glory, he said, and then he worked to make that happen. Topping his love of the city was his love for his family. He and his wife, Arlene, celebrated their 54th anniversary just days before his death. Tom delighted in his sons' accomplishments even as he teased them about it. His grandchildren, three girls and a boy, and a great-grandson brought recurring joy to his life. Tom loved his family and loosely defined that word. Friends from around the world kept in touch and many visited. As his friends gathered to remember him this week, laughs abounded and discussions ranged from his grumbling when his wife arranged trips to his pure enjoyment while on them to his love of music and his lack of rhythm. Multiple "Tom-isms" traveled through their conversation, punctuated by laughs, tears, pride and love. Those included: --His love of reading and the multiple crossword puzzles he worked each week, some in ink. --His love of the bi-annual lovebugs that helped his car wash businesses. His trademark business sign-off: "A clean car is a happy car." --His no-holds-barred honesty, often expressed with a humorous twist. --His delight in life and tendency to "adopt" people. He rarely met a man or woman he didn't consider a best friend. This week his family, his friends will gather to commemorate his life and his affect on theirs. Services are 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 11, 2013 at Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home on Howard Avenue in Biloxi. Visitation is 5 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 10, 2013, and noon to 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 11, 2013, at the funeral home. Burial will be in Biloxi National Cemetery. Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Charles Roger Wall and Dorothy King of Indianapolis; sisters, Susie Martin and Phyllis Phillips, both of Indianapolis, Betty McCammon of Mooresville, Ind., and a brother, Carl King of D'Iberville. Survivors include, his wife of 54 years, Arlene Wall of Biloxi; sons, Bob (Paige) Wall of Biloxi and Jeff (Cynthia) Wall of Flowood; grandchildren, Jheri (Wesley) Bretchel, Hailey Wall, Cassidy Wall and Charles Wall, all of Biloxi; a great-grandson, Nolan Bretchel of Biloxi; sisters, Helen (Earnie) Rich and JoAnn (Johnny) Marion, all of Indianapolis, and Frances (Arthur) Day of Mooresville, Ind.; and many nieces and nephews. To commemorate Tom's passion for serving his community, the family requests donations be made to one of his favorite non-profit organizations or a charity of your choice. His favorites included the Rotary Club of Edgewater, the Boy's and Girl's Clubs of the Gulf Coast, the Gulf Coast Rescue Mission, The American Red Cross Gulf Coast Chapter, the George Ohr Museum, the Seafood Museum, the Salvation Army Mississippi Gulf Coast Command and the Biloxi Bay Chamber.