Thomas Vaughn Romer Lantz

81 year old Thomas Vaughn Romer Lantz of Murfreesboro, a former Smithville Postmaster, died Saturday. He was born Thomas Vaughan Lantz on October 22, 1928 in Detroit, Michigan to the late Joseph Angelo and Florence Josephine Walk Lantz, following her death Tom was adopted by Charles and Mary Romer, sister to Tom’s mother.
In 1946, at age 17, Tom enlisted in the then Army-Air Corp and was stationed at Orlando, Florida, where he met and married Ilan Hughes, mother of their five sons. Over the next 23 years, Tom served his country proudly in the US Air
Force during WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. He retired as a Master Sergeant in 1968.
Following retirement from the USAF, Tom graduated the University of North Alabama with a bachelor’s degree in Education and a Master’s degree in Counseling. He taught school and coached football at E.O. Coffman Middle
School in Lawrence County for seven years. He served as Postmaster in Middleton and Smithville, TN until retirement in 1992. After retiring from the US Postal Service, Tom served as a bus driver in Rutherford County.
He was a Master Mason and member of Masonic Lodge 77 in Smithville, Tennessee.
He is survived by his wife, Gilda Wood Romer, sons, Lantz (Amy) Romer of Columbia, Bobby (Tillie) Romer of Nebraska, Andy (Fran) Romer of Pam Coast, Florida, David (Teresa) Romer of Lawrenceburg, Shaun (Belinda) Romer of Lawrenceburg, sister, Ann Marie McDonald of New York, 12 grandchildren, three great grandchildren, daughter-in-law: Linda Romer of Lawrencburg, niece and nephew, Jann Morton, Jay McDonald, one great niece, and one great
great niece. He was preceded in death by his brother, Louis Lantz and sister, Carol Lantz Shaffer.
Visitation will be from 4:00 until 8:00pm Monday at Woodfin Memorial Chapel, Murfreesboro. Funeral service will be 11:00 am Tuesday at Woodfin Memorial Chapel with Masonic Rites. Shaun Romer, Chris Madison, Family and Friends
will officiate. Graveside service will be 3:30 pm Tuesday at Mimosa Cemetery in Lawrenceburg with Full Military Honors.