AHOSKIE – After battling cancer for eight years, on April 16, 2011 Thomas L. Cherry died peacefully at his home, surrounded by his four children.

June 5, 1928, Thomas was born in Lewiston, NC to Sallie Peele and Leslie Humphrey, who died in 1932. They moved to Ahoskie in 1938 when his mother married J. Carlton Cherry.

He is a graduate of Ahoskie High School, Fishburne Military Academy, and Wake Forest University where he earned his BS and JD degrees. He practiced law with his father J. Carlton Cherry for over 35 years.

With a great love for his community, he enjoyed serving as a member and past president of the Ahoskie Jaycees, past president of the Ahoskie Rotary Club, A Paul Harris Fellow, past president of the Ahoskie Chamber of Commerce and legal counsel for the town of Ahoskie, as well as counsel for the N.C. Jaycees. He was a brother member of the Masonic Lodge No. 684 when he recently received his pin for 50 years of service. He was raised to Roanoke Chowan Shrine.

He proudly served his country during the Korean War.

He was an active member of First Baptist Church of Ahoskie where he taught the Fellowship Sunday School class for over 15 years.

Being an avid sportsman, he enjoyed spending his free time playing golf at Beechwood, and hunting and fishing on the Chowan and in the Atlantic Ocean. He loved being the captain of his boat, fishing, pulling the kids skiing. Spending time in the North Carolina mountains brought him much pleasure and inspiration as he wrote poetry. Tom Cherry loved spending time with his family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his loving wife of 53 years, Patricia W. Cherry. He is survived by his four children: Susan C. Keel and husband, Ernie, of Ahoskie, Anne C. Price and husband, Hal, of Clinton, Gail C. Richardson and husband, Jack, of Wilmington, and Thomas Carlton Cherry of  Palm Beach Gardens, Florida; and seven grandchildren: Braxton, Ian and Logan Kinlaw, Walt and Landis Joyner and Leslie and Paul Richardson.

A Celebration of Life ceremony will be held at graveside at 5 p.m. on Thursday, April 21, 2011 at the Ahoskie Cemetery. The family will receive friends immediately following the service. In case of rain, the service will be at Garrett-Jones Funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Lung Baptist Research, Wake Forest Baptist Office of Development, Medical Center Blvd., Winston Salem, NC 27157-1021.

Friends and family may send online condolences to www.garrettjonesfh.com.

Garrett-Jones Funeral Home in Ahoskie is serving the Cherry family.