Thomas Raymond Yokley

Thomas Raymond "Tommy" Yokley of Lexington, North Carolina, died peacefully on Sunday, September 22. Tommy was born in 1947 to Charles "Buddy" and Elizabeth "Tot" Yokley in Columbia, Tennessee, and he resided there for most of his life. He was a 1965 graduate of Columbia Central High School, where he starred on the basketball team, and a 1969 graduate of the University of Tennessee.

In 1970, Tommy married Susan Dooley Yokley, also of Columbia, and remained happily married to her for the rest of his life. Tommy loved their two children, Todd and Karen, dearly.

Tommy worked his entire thirty-five year career at the same graphite electrode manufacturing plant in Columbia, where he held numerous management positions and watched the plant change names from Union Carbide to UCAR Carbon to GrafTech. In his retirement, he continued to be very active in the Columbia Kiwanis Club, and he served as an organizer and director of Heritage Bank and Trust. He also spent as much time as he could fishing.

Sports played a major role in Tommy's life as a player, coach, and fan. In addition to his high school basketball days, he also loved softball, tennis, bowling, and in his later years, pickleball. He frequently served as a coach of his kids' sports teams, and he was a die-hard fan of the Tennessee Volunteers throughout his life.

In 2016, Tommy relocated to North Carolina to be closer to family and fishing. With his lakefront backyard, he was able to fish whenever he wanted and enjoy quality time with his two grandchildren, Ben and Eliza.

Tommy is survived by his wife, Susan Yokley; his children, Todd Yokley (Patsy Meyer) of Denver, Colorado, and Karen Yokley (Nick Luke) of Whitsett, North Carolina; his grandchildren, Ben Luke and Eliza Yokley; his brother, Sam Yokley (Paula) of Collierville, Tennessee; and extended family members in Middle Tennessee.

Memorial contributions may be made to:

Riverside United Methodist Church

PO Box 392

Columbia, TN 38402-0392