Thomas Marion McWatters

Mr. Thomas “Tommy” Marion McWatters went home to be with His Lord and Savior surrounded by his wife, children and grandchildren on Monday, November 2, 2026, at Wayne T Patrick Hospice House. The family will receive friends Sunday, November 8 at Barron Funeral Home from 3:00 PM until 5:00 PM

A Funeral Service will be held 11:00 AM Monday, November 9, 2026 at Chester Freedom Ministries with Rev. Steve Bishop, Rev Bill Stallings and Rev. Jeff McWatters officiating. Burial will follow in Chester Memorial Gardens

A native of Chester, SC, Tommy was a son of the late Jesse Lee McWatters and Willie Marion Curry McWatters.

He will be remembered as a great Christian man. He demonstrated his faith in many different ways as it was a part of who he was and how he lived his life. He was a previous member of Westside Baptist Church where he served as a deacon/Chairman of Deacons, Sunday School Teacher, Bus Ministry Captain and Driver, Team Leader for Children’s Church, Director and Producer for Christmas programs such as “Christmas comes to Detroit Louie” and “Angel on the Step Ladder.”

He was part of the founding members at Fort Mill Community Church where he served as an Elder and Leader of the Children’s Ministry. He was also a current member of Chester Freedom Ministries where he served as Captain of the Prayer Team.

He was a diehard Clemson Tiger fan who not only enjoyed watching sports but actively participated in sports. He was the Assistant Coach of The Civitians in the Dixie Youth Baseball program when his son played baseball. He loved to play golf and fish, including fresh and salt water. He enjoyed bowling on the lanes in Chester and later in Rock Hill.

He was a past President of the South Carolina Senior Sports Classic organization, where he helped oversee the annual SC Senior Games. As a participant he won many medals in SC and at the National Senior Games in sports like bowling and ping pong.

He worked as Quality Control Manager for the Schlegel Corporation. in Chester SC. His job afforded him the opportunity to travel around the world.

Of all his achievements in life, he was a loving and supportive husband, father and grandfather. He was the founder of the Hug-A-Bug Gang.

Surviving are his wife, Dona Gallman McWatters; two children, Jeffery Marion McWatters and his wife, Karen, and Lisa McWatters Kerns and her husband, Patrick; his grandchildren, Stephanie Amber McWatters, Katie Kerns Lackey and her husband Kyle, Justin Wade McWatters and his wife Elena, and Taylor McWatters Jackson and her husband, Seth; Nieces and Nephews, Deborah McCarley and her husband Bill, Janice Resendiz and her husband, Phyllis McWatters, Terry Paul, and Dean Paul and his wife, Natalie. He was preceded in death by two brothers, William Floyd McWatters and his wife, Arnice Youngblood McWatters, and Harvey Lee McWatters and his wife, Evelyn Mixon McWatters: a sister, Betty Louise McWatters Youngblood and her husband, Norman Eugene Youngblood. In the last hours of his life he received many phone calls from extended family including nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews from several generations, all expressing their love and appreciation. We are profoundly changed and blessed by Tommy’s example of what it means to love others.

The family would like to express its appreciation to the Doctors and Nurses who cared for our Dad over the years and especially the teams at MUSC Chester, MUSC Lancaster, Prisma Health Richland, Piedmont Medical Center of Rock Hill and Wayne T Patrick Hospice House.

Memorial donations may be made to Chester Freedom Ministries, 729 Village Drive, Chester, SC 29706 or Wayne T Patrick Hospice House ~ https://www.hospicecommunitycare.org/donate

Online condolences may be made to the family at www.barronfuneralhome.com.