Cover photo for Tommy   Drew Earles's Obituary
Tommy   Drew Earles Profile Photo
1942 Tommy 2021

Tommy Drew Earles

February 25, 1942 — November 2, 2021

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Dr. Tom Earles (a/k/a Tommy to his family and childhood friends and Poppy to his grandchildren) died on November 2,2021 of complications from dementia. Tom was born in Waycross, Georgia on February 25, 1942. He was adored by his mother, Gertrude Spence Earles, and his grandfather, Allen B. Spence, who lived with him while he was growing up. His cousin, Bobby Spence, was like a brother to him, and they spent many summers at the family cabin at Harriet’s Bluff and in the Okefenokee Swamp. Boy Scouts was an important part of his childhood, and he earned the rank of Eagle Scout. Tom met his future wife, Gracelyn Hawkes, when they were children growing up in Waycross, and they started dating as teenagers at Waycross High School. Gracelyn was the valedictorian of the class of 1959 (a fact that she hoped would not be included in this obituary), and Tom was the valedictorian of the class of 1960. Tom graduated from the University of Georgia in the first class of the UGA Honors Program. He was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity. After graduation, he married his high school sweetheart. It was a love match, and they were married until his death. Tom earned his master’s degree in social work from Florida State University and then joined the Army. While he was serving as a social worker at Fort Sam Houston, he had his daughter, Julie, who shared his birthday. His daughter has wonderful memories of all of their shared birthday celebrations. Upon being honorably discharged from the Army, he joined the Reserves and moved to Clarkston, Georgia where is son, John, was born. Tom loved being a social worker because he loved interacting with and helping people. He worked for the state mental hospital in Milledgeville, where he developed a program for moving patients from the mental hospital to the community. For many years, he worked with children at the Georgia Mental Health Institute in Atlanta. Tom was devoted to helping the children in his care. His own children have fond memories of Christmas shopping for all of the kids who had to stay at the mental hospital over Christmas. While working full time at GMHI, Tom also attended Georgia State University, where he earned a PhD in psychology in 1982. Tom retired from the Army Reserves in 1985 at the rank of Major. Tom retired from GMHI in 1987. He began a private practice in 1982 and retired in 2015, helping hundreds of children. Tom’s brilliance and intellectual curiosity combined beautifully with his enormous capacity for compassion and empathy. He was a hero to his patients and to his children and grandchildren. Always at home in the woods and swamps, Tom was always ready for a hike or canoe trip. Tom had a great time playing tennis and backyard games of all sorts, including the Earles Family Olympics. His ambitious plans for the backyard vegetable garden each year usually exceeded his children’s interest in weeding and watering. A devoted father, he wrote his children daily while they were in college. He enjoyed collecting and sharing shells and rocks, building special bonds with his grandchildren. He was always up for a picnic or a hike up Stone Mountain. He read voraciously and loved movies of all kinds. Despite being a terrible speller, he was a prolific poet. He loved a good garage sale, especially when he found a great movie or a special gift for someone else. Tom loved generously, openly, and truly, and he was loved in kind by his wife, Gracelyn, son, John, daughter, Julie, son in law, Alan (who was like a son), daughter in law, Alison (who was like a daughter), and grandchildren, Katie, Noah, Joseph, and Adam. He will be greatly missed.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Haygood Memorial United Methodist Church Endowment Fund, Clarkston United Methodist Church, or the University of Georgia Scholarship Fund are appreciated.

***PLEASE DO NOT SEND FLOWERS TO THE FAMILY***

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