Tommy Jan Noles
February 02, 1940 – September 04, 2021
On Saturday, September 4, 2021, Tommy Jan Noles, loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, and friend, went home to be with the Lord at the age of 81.
Tom was born on February 1, 1940, in Ponca City, Oklahoma to Evelyn and Floyd Brewer. He is the adopted son of Jack Noles, and the middle brother of Mitzie Hembree and Bill Noles. Tom grew up in Tonkawa, graduating from Tonkawa High School. August 19, 1961, he married Marilyn Bewley. Tom and Marilyn spent most of their 60-year marriage living in Edmond, Oklahoma, where they raised two daughters, Juli and Paige, and one son, Tommy Jon. Tom was heavily involved in the lives of their five grandchildren, Megan, Molly, Colton, Mallory, and Trenton, who knew him as “Papa”. Tom and Marilyn celebrated the arrival of their first great-grandchild, Stevie Lynn Foreman-Brackett, in 2020 and Tom welcomed his second great-grandchild, Daniel Elmore Lawton, in 2021. He was eagerly awaiting the arrival of great-grandchild number three, Noles Meyer Lagasse.
Tom devoted his life to serving God by serving His people. He was a faithful father and grandfather, often driving hours round trip with Marilyn to watch one athletic event or dance recital. Tom found joy in all things Mickey Mouse and wore his signature Mickey watch with pride. His passion was caring for others, usually behind the scenes, and always with a twinkle in those blue eyes. Tom admired the ‘cowboy way’. He loved a good western and, in his words, “was obsessed with John Wayne.” He lived by the words of his hero, “I define manhood simply: men should be tough, fair, and courageous, never petty, never looking for a fight, but never backing down from one either.
Tom cherished his relationships and embraced any chance to make a new friend. It was uncanny how everywhere he went, he knew someone. In his final days, Tom asked the Lord for the opportunity to be an example of God’s grace and Christ’s love for every person he met.
Since childhood, Tom loved playing and watching sports. He and Marilyn played tennis and he enjoyed golf. Tom played football through high school and took every opportunity to watch the Oklahoma Sooners. He was especially fond of watching his Sooners defeat the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
Tom graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a doctorate in Pharmacy and had a successful career owning pharmacies at different times, working for Allied Supermarkets (Humpty), Fleming, and FoxMeyer. He started a thriving consulting business, CBI, with longtime friends to help independent pharmacists. Tom set an incredible example of hard work and dedication, even making calls from the hospital bed to check on his valued customers. Tom was an active participant and donor to the Oklahoma Frontier Drug Store Museum and touched many lives as a 25-year Bible Study Fellowship leader. He was loyal, generous, funny, God-fearing, and incredibly stubborn. Tom made others better and his friendship was a gift treasured by many.
Tom was preceded in death by his wife, Marilyn, his parents, Evelyn and Jack, his sister-in-law, Wanda Bewley, and his grandson, Hunter Lagasse. His children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, brother, sister, nieces, nephews, and friends carry on his legacy.
A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday, September 11, 2021 at First Presbyterian Church of Edmond and livestreamed at https://fpcedmond.org/media. His ashes will be interred at a later date at Gracelawn Cemetery. Donations and memorial contributions may be made to the César Chávez Elementary School.
I was involved with Tom all my pharmacy life. I went to work as an intern for Humpty Drugs after I got out of college. After 15 years with Humpty I put in my own business and joined the CBI group. When I was with Humpty the harder he pusted me the harder I worked. After I looked back I think Tom saw a potiental in me that I didn’t know and he was just wanted to reach my potiental. I just saw him 2 months ago when I was going to retire and sell my store. With heavy heart I write this for I was involed with Tom for 52 years. He maid me a sucess in life and I always be enteral greateful.
My friendship with Tom started 60 years ago. Tom, Marilyn , Bobby and I lived in University housing across the street from each other while attending the University of Oklahoma Pharmacy School. We were a part of the same study group all during pharmacy school and we both worked at hospitals while in school. After graduation Tom went into the corporate world and I went in to retail. Our paths resumed when he established the CBI buying group. Tom was such a advocate for the independent pharmacist and a ferocious negotiator.
While in the hospital over 8 years ago, Tom brought me a prayer book of daily devotionals which I still read daily. To this day, I credit Tom for bringing me back into God’s fold. May God extend his hand to him and welcome him into eternal glory saying. ” Welcome home my good and faithful friend”.
I Love you Brother!
Brooke Van Horn
After reading Gary Tigert’s comments about Tom and his cherished years as a Humpty Pharmacist, I can’t help but try to add some very special and cherished memories of my friend Tom as my boss and fellow Humpty pharmacist. I met and followed Tom in Ponca City Humpty Drug in 1966 as manager, and later joined Tom, J.B. Roberts and Jack Myrick in the office in management of our 60 or more drugstores. If you were ever involved in some way as a Humpty Pharmacist, I can tell you with no hesitation how many times I saw Tom with his proverbial feet to the fire and how many times he went to bat for all of his pharmacists. He was a hard working, very gifted and capable manager and served all of us so well. He was particularly hard on you Gary because he knew his work was cut out for him. I will never forget that he made sure to have the finest group of pharmacists to manage and work in his pharmacies, and he considered all of us very special. He broke away from the usual and customary white and green pharmacy smocks, and introduced the “MAN IN BLUE” all of you will remember because he wanted us to stand out as we worked in those very vibrant blue smocks. Many of us are either with him in heaven or retired and still able to recall many of the great and cherished memories we have of Tom making his many visits to his stores all over Oklahoma whenever he could get away from Irene in the office and enjoy being in the field with his friends. Tom and the love of his life Marilyn are now together. God Bless you Juli, Paige, and Tommie Jon, My thoughs and love are with you.
Your friend, Leon Wills
Tommy and I did our internship at Star Pharmacy in Norman. Our preceptor was Nancy McCall with aid of her husband Ken McCall and they taught Tommy and I the business of Pharmacy. After graduation in 1964, we each went our separate ways. Tommy was always good to reconnect and update me on our classmates and what was going on in his life. He and his wife Marilyn were inseparable in everything they did and were living the life of Christianity their entire life. As their life manifested, it proved they were born to be together forever. May God bless their souls and family forever.