Thomas W. Higdon

Thomas W. Higdon, 57, of Owensboro, died there Sunday, January 8, 2006, as a result of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. Born in Owensboro, a the son of the late James C. Higdon and Opal Easler Higdon, he was a graduate of Owensboro High School, where he played football and baseball, and Kentucky Wesleyan College with a Bachelors of Art in Business Administration. Mr. Higdon began his professional career with Atmos Energy in 1971, when it was Western Kentucky Gas, as a Senior Measurement Technician, and where he later served as Supervisor of Field Measurement, Supervisor of Safety and Insurance, Manager of Transmission Construction and Maintenance, Safety and Training Coordinator, and Large Volume Sales Representative. After serving as Director of Gas Operations for Vanguard Meter Service and Human Resource and Safety for Peters Construction, he returned to Atmos Energy, as Employee Development Specialist, later becoming Manager of Safety and Employee Training, and most recently was Director of Public Relations. Mr. Higdon was active in professional and civic affairs, including his current membership in the American Gas Association which he served as chairman of the Public Relations Committee. He had previously been involved with Girls, Inc., United Way, Junior Achievement, March of Dimes, American Cancer Society, American Red Cross, Boy Scouts of America, a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers and the Ohio Valley Industrial Safety Administration. A member of St. Stephen Cathedral, he was a 1988 graduate of Leadership Owensboro and enjoyed motorcycling and weightlifting. He was preceded in death by his daughter Jamie Higdon in 1999.

Survivors include his daughters, Monica Van Langen and her husband Bruce, of Nashville, Melissa Higdon of Owensboro, and Maddie Higdon of Cynthiana; his grandchildren, Matthew Goodman, Gracie Van Langen, Abbey Van Langen, and Delaney Van Langen; his great-granddaughter, Vega Smith; his sister, Judy Dixon and her husband Tom, of Owensboro; two nephews and on niece.

Services are 2:00 p.m. Wednesday at St. Stephen Cathedral. Visitation will be from 2:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Tuesday and from 10:00 a.m. until 1:15 p.m. Wednesday at Glenn Funeral Home. Burial will be in Elmwood Cemetery.

Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to the Cornerstone United Methodist Childrens Ministry, 349 Chaney Road, Smyrna, TN 37167.