Aug. 22, 1941 - July 3, 2014 John "Tom" Thomas Lyons, 72, stepped into eternity on July 3rd after a brief stay at River City Care and Rehabilitation Center. He was born August 22, 1941. Tom was a lifetime resident of Decatur. After graduating from Decatur High School in 1959, he went on to the University of Alabama and later obtained a masters degree in aerospace engineering from UAH in 1983. He spent his career working in the space and missile program in Huntsville and retired from Dynetics in 2013 after 35 years of service. He married his high school sweetheart in 1964. In addition to his professional career, he shared his influence as a youth leader at his church and scoutmaster in Cub Scouts program. Tom was a Christian having given his life to the Lord as a teenager. He was a member of Central United Methodist Church. He was a man of generous spirit, lover of music, and will be remembered as a caring husband, father, grandfather, brother, cousin, and beloved by all who called him friend. Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Timothy C. Lyons and Ruth Carmichael Lyons. Tom is survived by Barbara Branum Lyons, his loving wife of 50 wonderful years. He is also survived by his three sons, Timothy Randall Lyons (Fran) of Auburn, David Harrison Lyons Sr. (Heather) of West Point, Georgia, John Michael Lyons (Deanna) of Decatur; seven grandchildren, Sarah Margaret, Joseph, Tanner Lindsey, Catherine, Harrison, Jack, and Emily Grace; one sister, Ginger Brown (Dan) of White Bluff, Tn. Visitation will be Thursday night from 6-8 at Ridout's Brown-Service Funeral Home. Services will take place in the chapel on Friday, July 11, 2014, at 11 am and will be officiated by Rev. Tommy Lee and Rev. Brad Eads. Burial will be in Decatur City Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Dan Brown, Dennis Little, Allen Self, Stuart Smith, Larry Sturges and Steve Tyler. Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of the Valley, 240 Johnston Street SE, Decatur Al 35601. The family would like to thank the entire staff at River City Rehab for their loving care.
Published in The Huntsville Times from July 8 to July 9, 2014

From Hugh Wilson Morgan:

Tom Lyons, class of 1959, passed away Thursday evening, after suffering a series of strokes. Tom's wife, Barbara Branum Lyons, is a 1960 classmate of ours. Give Barbara your prayers and comfort. I'll provide service arrangements when I know more. I sang with Tom, both of us guests, in the combined choir at St. John's Episcopal Church in Decatur for its annual Advent First Sunday Ceremony of Lessons and Carols. Tom was an excellent tenor and for those services, he was the soloist in "I Wonder As I Wander." Also for a couple of years in the 80s, Tom, Wellman Gebhart, John Robbins, and I car-pooled together to our jobs in Huntsville. According to Linda Clark Boyd, class of '59, the Lyons' address is 26 Harborview Ct. NE, Decatur, 35601.