Lewis County Herald - Serving Hohenwald, Lewis County Tennessee Since 1898

Thomas Ross Quillen, 93, of Lander, Wyoming passed away on February 15, 2024, peacefully with family and friends by his side.

Quillen was born June 15, 1930, in Hohenwald, as the middle child to Frank and Ola Mae (Grimes) Quillen. After high school, Tom was drafted into the US Army and later served with the Army National Guard. After two years in the Army,

Tom attended Tennessee Polytechnic Institute in Cookeville, graduating in 1958. During his time in the Army, he met the love of his life, Marlene Cox, at a roller skating rink. They married on October 2, 1954 in Detroit, Michigan.

After completing his military duties Tom, Marlene, and their two young boys moved to Ft. Washakie in 1959. Tom worked as a soil scientist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, a job he continued when he moved his family to Ft. Bellnap, Montana, and, ultimately, to Poplar, Montana. In 1972 Tom and Marlene moved their now family of five to Lander where Tom took a job as Unit Services Director for Indian Health Services on the Wind River Reservation. Tom continued this job for 10 years before moving to work as a manager for the Department of Family Services. Tom retired from a career of public service in 1989.

Retirement was just the beginning for Tom, whose family now included 6 grandchildren. Tom and Marlene began adventuring across America before Marlene passed away in 1991. Tom continued to visit family and friends and enjoyed the company of neighbors as the century wound down. The new millennium found Tom traveling with his long-time companion, Betty Shirreffs. They traveled both home and abroad, seeing sights from Alaska to the great beaches of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Along with the usual Wyoming activities of hunting, fishing, four-wheeling, snowmobiling, and camping, Tom was an avid bowler and golfer and enjoyed historical documentaries early in the morning. Tom was active in the American Legion Post #33, having been a member for over 51 years. Tom most enjoyed his afternoon coffee sessions with "the boys," a tradition he carried up to his last days.

Tom's lengthy and joyful life is survived by his sons, Michael (Christine) Quillen of Torrington, Jeff (Carol) Quillen of Lander; daughter Shawna (Sam) Titensor of Thayne; grandchildren, Jason Satkunam (Marissa) of Laramie, Jenny Keel (Joe) of Yukon, Oklahoma, Shannon Titensor of Thayne, Megan Nees (Richard) of Ft Collins, Colorado, Christopher Quillen of Torrington, and Shane Titensor (Alyssa) of Auburn; as well as 5 great-grandchildren. Tom was preceded in death by his parents; his loving wife, Marlene; siblings, Lula May Burns and James Quillen, and Betty Shirreffs.

A viewing will be held Monday, February 26th at the Chapel of Mount Hope, Hudson's Funeral Home in Lander, Wyoming. Funeral services with full Military Honors were held Tuesday, February 27th at First Baptist Church, Lander, with a graveside service afterward in the Mount Hope Cemetery. A reception will be held at the

In lieu of flowers the family asks for donations to be mailed directly in Tom's honor to Westward Heights Care Center, 150 Caring Way, Lander, Wyoming 82520.