Thomas Stephen “Tommy” Sweat, 79, of Patterson, passed away late Monday evening, December 18, 2023, at Memorial University Health in Savannah.
Born in Patterson March 20, 1944, he lived in Pierce County all his life. He had served in the National Guard for six years. While working for Hiers, he helped develop the Griner Sweat & Hiers Tobacco Combine known as the GS & H Tobacco Combine. He would go on to retire as a maintenance supervisor for Gilman Building Products. He loved hunting and fishing as well as woodworking and working on machines. Spending time with his family always gave him great joy. He was a member of Patterson Baptist Church.
He was a son of the late James Henry and Lena Estelle Thornton Sweat. He was also preceded in death by a son-in-law, Ken Martin and all of his siblings: Lydia Nell Sweat Mills, Emelyne Sweat Walker, Mary Sweat Hancock, Claude Davis Sweat, John Carl Sweat, Leonard Burney Sweat, and James Henry Sweat Jr.
Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Mary Driggers Sweat, Patterson; two daughters, Delores Sweat Martin, Waycross and Dana Sweat (Rob) Craven, Waycross; two sons, Thomas Stephen Sweat Jr., Waycross and Simon Sweat (Maggie Perritt), Patterson; a sister-in-law, Carolyn Sweat Dangerfield, Blackshear; 10 grandchildren, Sierra Taylor (Marcus Green), Stephen Taylor Jr., Kayla (Russell) Copeland, Wrangler (Amanda) Martin, Lewis Allen Leggett Jr., Jayden Watt, Remley Sweat, Riley Manders, Brittany (Jamie) Inman and Kaiti (Jonathan) Miller; six great-grandchildren and several nieces, nephews and other relatives.
Visitation will be held from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21, at the funeral home.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 22, from the Patterson Baptist Church with the Rev. Edmund Thrift officiating.
Interment will be in the Laura Chapel Cemetery.
The family would like all retirees of Gilman Building Products to serve as honorary pallbearers. They are asked to please meet at Patterson Baptist by 1:30 p.m. Friday.
The family kindly requests that memorials be made to the Nunnally House, 2415 Parkwood Dr., Brunswick, GA 31520 or www.wearethefoundation.org.
Sympathy may be expressed by signing the online register at www.pearsondial.com.
Pearson Dial Funeral Home of Blackshear is in charge of arrangements.
