Thomas Gerald Lanning, 84, of Llano died Oct. 2, 2018

Thomas Gerald Lanning, 84, beloved husband of Mary Frances Lanning, died peacefully at home surrounded by family on October 2, 2018. Born February 26, 1934, in Gold Beach, Oregon, Thomas was the only child of Walter Thomas and Lula Martha “Polly” Lanning.

Thomas hailed from a multi-generational Texas family of which he was extremely proud, and it was only during the Great Depression that his mother and father moved out of state in search of work. He and his mother returned to Texas while he was still a small child — his father died unexpectedly while building roads in Oregon for the WPA — and he grew up in Houston.

He graduated from Milby High School and attended the University of Houston, where he trained as a civil engineer.  He worked professionally for some 30 years with Houston firms, among them Kirkland Engineers and Binkley & Holmes, a company that valued him as instrumental in contributing to its success. In 2000, he and Mary Frances left The Woodlands near Houston to resettle in Llano.

Thomas enjoyed taking long road trips, fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, and working the most challenging crosswords. He appreciated the beauty of the Texas Hill Country and loved the company of animals (his dogs, Gigi and Prissy, especially, and more than a few stray cats). He was immensely talented as a watercolorist and took great pleasure in researching his family’s genealogy and longtime Texas roots.

His wife of 59 years, Mary Frances, survives him. He was the caring father of daughters Polly Lanning Sparrow of Austin and Pamela Presley of Llano, both of whom survive him as do his sons-in-law, Bartholomew Sparrow and Gregory Presley. He is also survived by two grandchildren, Kristin Fabry Dally (husband Ben) of Olympia, Washington, and Zoltan Fabry (wife Lisa) of Houston, as well as four great-grandchildren.

Thomas will be missed beyond words by his family and remembered with great fondness by his friends.

A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, October 5, at Llano City Cemetery with Pastor Ralph Reitmeyer officiating. Memorial contributions may be made to St. James Lutheran Church, 1401 Ford St., Llano, TX 78643.

Arrangements by Waldrope-Hatfield-Hawthorne Funeral Home, 307 E. Sandstone in Llano, (325) 247-4300. Email whhfuneral1@verizon.net with condolences.