Citadel Alumni Deaths

Richard Clough “Dick” Thomson, 86, of Inman, went home to be with the
Lord on Saturday, January 30, 2010 at Spartanburg Regional Healthcare
System after a short illness. He was the widower of the late Margaret
Moser “Tosie” Thomson and the son of the late William Clough Thomson and
Mary Faulkner Thomson of Gaffney. Born and raised in Gaffney, Dick
graduated from The McCallie School in Chattanooga, TN in June of 1941
and started college at The Citadel in Charleston that fall. After
completing his sophomore year, he joined most of his classmates and
volunteered for the Army and after boot camp in Georgia and New York
State was immediately shipped off to Europe in the middle of World War
II. He was wounded in France and sent back to the states to the VA
hospital in Richmond, VA for several months as they tried to save his
lower right leg and foot. He was awarded the Purple Heart and came home
to Gaffney a war hero. Later he met Tosie and they were married on June
20, 1948. Dick worked for Milliken in both Gaffney and Union. While his
children were still young, he decided to go back to school at the
University of South Carolina in Columbia, where he commuted on the
weekends and where he graduated with a BSBA in accounting in May of
1959. He worked a couple of years with Cline and Elmore, CPA’s and then
became the accountant and office manager for Hamrick and Musgrove Mills
for over 35 years in their Gaffney main office. He served as deacon,
elder and treasurer for many years at Limestone Presbyterian Church and
then as elder and treasurer at Overbrook Presbyterian Church up until
two years ago when he moved in with his son and daughter-in-law in
Inman. Dick was a true southern gentleman, who had the spiritual gift of
encouragement. He was also a very humble man who always thought of
others before himself. He will truly be missed by his many family
members and friends. Surviving are his son, W. Harlan Thomson and his
wife Sandy of Inman; two grandsons, James Harlan Thomson of Smithfield,
NC and William Shannon Thomson of Charleston; and two sisters-in-law,
Cacky Pearson Moser of Gastonia, NC and Patricia Messer Moser of
Asheville, NC. Mr. Thomson was preceded in death by his daughter,
Margaret Elizabeth “Betsy” Thomson; one brother, William Park Thomson;
and three sisters, Mary Ellen Thomson, Willie Thomson Brown, and
Margaret Thomson Carr. The family will receive friends from 2:00 PM
until 4:00 PM on Tuesday, February 2, 2010 at Overbrook Presbyterian
Church. Funeral services will immediately follow at 4:00 PM at the
church with Rev. David Weber and Rev. D.J. Horton officiating. Interment
will be in Frederick Memorial Gardens. In lieu of flowers, memorials may
be made to The Betsy Thomson Scholarship Fund, c/o Greensboro College,
815 West Market Street, Greensboro, NC, 27401; or Overbrook Presbyterian
Church, 919 Overbrook Drive, Gaffney, SC, 29341. The family will be at
the residence. An online guest register is available at
www.blakelyfuneralhome.com. Blakely Funeral Home & Crematory, Gaffney.

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