Obituary of Thavis D. Higgs

A memorial service honoring Thavis Donald "T.D." Higgs of Whitehouse, formerly of Overton, is scheduled for 3:00 pm, Saturday, July 10 at the Whitehouse United Methodist Church with the Reverends Matthew Thomas and Atwell Hankins officiating. The family will fellowship with friends at the church following the service. Private family interment will be in the Whitehouse Cemetery. T.D. died Thursday, July 8, 2010 at the age of 81. He was born July 2, 1929, in Abilene to the late Cager and Laura Mintie Greer Higgs. Most of his public school education was in Abilene Public Schools, but he spent most of his high school years in Stamford High School where he graduated in 1945. After serving in the Air Force in Anchorage, Alaska, he entered Hardin Simmons University in Abilene where he received a bachelor's degree in music in 1951. He was band director for Agua Dulce High School before being employed by The Horn Shop in Corpus Christi for nine years. The family moved to Dallas in 1960, where T.D. traveled for Chicago Musical Instruments Company. During this job, he won an award for selling the most Gibson guitars of any salesman in the U.S. Following his stint with CMI, he owned Plaza Music store in Dallas until 1972. His last and longest employment was rural mail carrier in Overton and Tyler, retiring in 1998. He was a member of The Texas Rural Letter Carrier's Association. T.D. continued his musical activities even after retirement and was recognized in the communities he lived as an accomplished wind instrument player, particularly on the tenor saxophone.  In the early years he played in several dance bands, as well as later serving in church instrumental groups.  These performances were a key part of his life and were pursued until 10 months ago.  His Christian faith sustained him to the end. He was a 32nd degree Mason for almost 50 years with the Pentagon Lodge in Dallas and was a Shriner participating in many parades.  T.D. married Margaret Steele of Abilene in 1949, and they celebrated their 60th anniversary in November of 2009. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his son, Gary; a brother, Otho Higgs; and a son-in-law, Jim Gibson. T.D. is survived by his wife, Margaret Higgs, Whitehouse; his daughter, Nancy Gibson, Whitehouse; two brothers, Ordis Higgs, Stillwater, Oklahoma, and Elton Higgs, Jackson, Michigan. Honorary pallbearers will be Elton Higgs, C. Sam Steele, Gary Al Gibson.  Memorials, if desired, may be made to the Whitehouse United Methodist Church, 405 W. Main, Whitehouse, TX 75791; Hospice of East Texas, 4111 University Blvd., Tyler, TX 75701; or to the American Cancer Society, 1301 S. Broadway, Tyler, TX 75701. Another remembrance could be to buy a friend a flower, complete an organ donor card, or do a good deed.