Thomas L Higgins

Thomas Llewelyn Higgins, 78, passed peacefully in the early morning hours of September 20, 2020, surrounded by family, at his home in Niceville, FL.  Tom was born at Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane, WA.  He is survived by his sister, Kathleen Higgins Stanek Gore, residing in Lacey, WA.

Tom grew up in the Gonzaga area (the little Vatican) of Spokane. He attended Saint Aloysius grade school and Gonzaga Prep High School, and graduated from Eastern Washington University earning two degrees, one in Economics, the second in Education. He completed his student teaching at North Central H.S. in Spokane, WA.  Tom was married to Marlys K. Schreck, together they had five children.  Sheila Marie Gervais (John), Jeffery Thomas Higgins,  Colleen Kay Mahn (Ron),  John Francis Higgins (Vanessa) and Jason Lee Higgins. He has six grandchildren, three great grandsons and a great granddaughter due in December.

After graduation from Eastern, Tom accepted a position with General Telephone and Electric in Everett, WA. The family lived in Marysville, WA.  Years later, while living in Upland, CA. on the golf course, he retired.  His lifelong passions were playing golf and bridge. Throughout his golf days he earned three hole in ones! Joyful times were meeting golf greats Jack Nicholas, Johnny Miller and Tom Watson. To say the least, Tom played thousands of rounds of golf all over the country up until his last months!

Tom shared special memories with his children including:

Getting up early the day after Thanksgiving, shopping for the best deals, going for breakfast at his favorite restaurant, to return home and watch college sports; the many dinner’s at the Ole Spaghetti Factory (Spokane, Seattle and California) to enjoy a great meal with good conversation; the time spent golfing at Torrey Pines in 2013; the year the PGA tour came to Everett, Tom lived near the course so family and friends traveled from Spokane to get a job caddying for the PGA players. Dad enjoyed this time with a house full of guys, and it always brought a smile to his eyes when we would reminisce about it!

Rest in Peace Tom/Dad.  You are and will always be loved and missed….

The family would like to thank Emerald Coast Hospice for the loving care they provided Tom in his final weeks.

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