Tom McBride

Tom McBride, 70, of Murphysboro, Illinois, passed away as a result of an accident at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 10, 2012, at St. Joseph Memorial Hospital in Murphysboro, Illinois. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 14, 2012, at the First Baptist Church in Murphysboro, with Rev. Shaker Samuel officiating, and burial will be at Pleasant Grove Memorial Park. Friends may call from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday and from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the church. Memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church or Hospice of Southern Illinois, Inc. Pettett Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements. Tom was born on November 11, 1941, at the old home place in Murphysboro, Illinois, to Harold McBride and Opal (Arendell) McBride. At age five, Tom's first job was cutting asparagus with his sister Phyllis. He was a very hard worker and a very quick learner. Growing up he worked on a lot of farms, and during college, he worked for both concrete and construction firms, in which he gained knowledge in all aspects of the building industry. Thus, this knowledge developed his love for building. He generously shared his time, talents and knowledge in the building trade with others and also he helped build homes for Habitat for Humanity. He was a 1959 Murphysboro Township High School graduate and he went on to graduate from the Logan Chiropractic College in St. Louis, Missouri in 1964. He was a licensed Doctor of Chiropractic in the states of Colorado and Illinois. In 1968, he was a graduate of Illinois State Police Academy. From that point he went further in is education, by graduating from both SIU-Carbondale and the University of Missouri at Columbia. He obtained a private pilot's license in 1970, and also a helicopter's pilots license, a multi-engine and commercial pilots license, and an instrument rated license. He obtained the rank of Sergeant with the Illinois State Police and was an Aircraft Commander for the Southern District of the State of Illinois. During his police service, he had logged over 18,000 hours of air time. Mr. McBride was a member of the First Baptist Church in Murphysboro and until his retirement from the State Police, he was a member of the Airborne Law Enforcement Association. He liked to buy and trade horses, and he liked to go to auctions. From his high school age to the present, he liked to joke around and have a good time. He was a very devoted and loving husband, father, and grandfather better known as "poppy". Tom married Barbara Arnold on June 27, 1997, in Paducah, Kentucky, and she survives. Other survivors include two children and their spouses Steve and Audra McBride and Sherri and Dale Schimpf, all of Murphysboro; three grandchildren Koral McBride, Connor McBride, and Carleigh Schimpf; two step sons Clint Hurst of Barcelona, Spain and Clay Hurst and his wife Ivy Hurst of Springer, OK; one sister and brother in law Phyllis and Larry Lavender of Arvada, CO; and one niece and her husband Kathy and Wayne Holverson of Arvada, CO. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Tom McBride

November 11, 1941 - July 10, 2012