Thomas Willard Willis

Thomas Willard Willis, Jr., 58, of 15 Sealey Lane, Leicester, died Monday, February 18, 2002, at Hospice Solace Center. Mr. Willis was born in Buncombe County and was the son of the late Thomas Willard Willis, Sr. and Bessie Phillips Willis.He was also preceded in death by a sister, Jo Ann Sizemore and a brother, Roy Willis. He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Irene Marie Sealey Willis; two sons Chaunces Wayne Willis and his wife Terry of Weaverville and Thomas Keith Willis of Leicester; two sisters, Eleanor Wooten and her husband Bill of Enka and Sylvia Lester of Yoakum, TX; two brothers,Jack T. Willis and his wife Betty of McConnell, SC, and W.B. Willis and his wife Rose Ann of Alexander; one grandson,Trent Dexter Willis and one step-grandson, Mark Rickman. Funeral services will be at 2:00 PM Friday in the Patton Avenue chapel of Groce Funeral Home with the Rev. Charles Surrett officiating. Burial will be at Corinth Baptist Church Cemetery. His family will receive friends from 7:00 - 8:30 PM Thursday at the funeral home. Flowers are acceptable or memorials may be made to Mountain Area Hospice, PO Box 25338, Asheville, NC 28806.