Thomas C. Drummond

Thomas Carmichael Drummond, Jr. died peacefully surrounded by his family on April 2, 2019.

Tom was born in 1929 to Scottish immigrants. He was the youngest of three boys and lived with his family on a sheep ranch in the Deer Lodge Valley. Tom attended a one-room school for two years, then bused to Deer Lodge, where he graduated from high school in 1947. He was active in FFA and served as a state officer. He attended college at MSC in Bozeman where he was a member of Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity, ROTC, and was editor of both the Montana State College Farmer magazine and the college annual, The Montanan. In 1951, Tom graduated with a BS in Animal Industry. He entered the Air Force, spending time in Korea with the 3rd Bomb Wing.

Upon returning home, he married Ruth Benson in 1954 in Missoula. They moved to Billings, where Tom worked at Reporter Printing and Supply for 36 years. Tom was an avid reader of nonfiction. He loved Montana history and enjoyed sharing his passion with his family on vacations around the state. Tom's hobbies were woodworking and photography. In retirement, he spent months each year creating a Christmas village that filled an entire room in his house. He enjoyed sharing the village with the community, especially local schoolchildren. One year, his village was featured in the Billings Symphony Holiday Tour of Homes. Tom loved to travel with Ruth, seeing much of North America and Europe. Tom was active in Billings Golden K Kiwanis, a member of Ashlar Lodge #29, and belonged to the First Presbyterian Church. His family will miss his kind and caring heart, his wisdom, his appreciation of nature and the environment, and his dry sense of humor.

Tom is preceded in death by his parents and his brothers, Jim and Dave. He is survived by his wife, Ruth; his five daughters, Carol (Kim) Annin of Billings, Donna Phillips of Tempe, Arizona, Sharon (John) Lewis of Chandler, Arizona, Judy (Jim) Bramlette of Idaho Falls, Idaho, and Jan (Tim) Weikert of Belgrade; and grandchildren Colton, Jacob and Madison Weikert; Kyle and Cody Bramlette; and Hannah, Bridger, and Alyssa Lewis.

The family would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the people at Bella Terra and Westpark Village for their compassionate care.

Donations can be made to the Alzheimer's Association – Montana (3010 11th Ave. N., Billings, MT 59101), the First Presbyterian Church in Billings (www.fpcbillings.org), or a charity of their choice.

A celebration of Tom's life will be at 3 p.m. Friday, April 12, at the First Presbyterian Church in Billings at 2420 13th St. West.