Thomas Pettit Faulkner

Born March 3, 1925 in Helena, Arkansas, Tom passed away at the age of 100 on June 10, 2025 at The Oaks in Flower Mound, Texas, with his loving family and devoted caregivers close by. He is preceded in death by his parents, James Miles Faulkner and Louise Pettit Faulkner Ritchie, his brother James Miles Faulkner, Jr., his wonderful wife of 72 years, Ann, who passed away on September 21, 2020 at the age of 95, and his daughter, Linda Faulkner Johnston, who passed away on February 14, 2024 at the age of 75.

He is survived by his son, Thomas P. Faulkner, Jr. and wife, Cindy Avery Faulkner, and their children, Allison A. Faulkner, Matthew H. Faulkner and wife Kelsey, and their son, Ford. He is also survived by his nephew James M. Faulkner, III, and two nieces, Louise Faulkner Kemp and Matney Faulkner Neatherlin, and their children.

Tom graduated from Highland Park High School in 1942. He was proud to be a member of the 1941 football team that advanced to the semi-finals of the state playoffs on Saturday, December 6, the day before the attack on Pearl Harbor. After one year at Texas A&M, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps, received his wings and was commissioned a second lieutenant in January 1944. Known to be the youngest Air Force pilot at the time, he became First Pilot of a four-engine Liberator B-24 Bomber at the age of 18. As Airplane Commander, he and his ten man crew trained in Tonapah, Nevada, and flew a new B-24 from San Francisco to their combat base in Italy where, in the 15th Air Force, he completed 28 missions over targets in Germany and German occupied territory. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for the valor he exhibited during his 28th mission, but remained unaware of this until 2013 when Dan Matthews, a total stranger who later became a dear friend, discovered the paperwork error. Tom was 88 when the Air Force finally presented him with the DFC at Carswell Airbase in Ft. Worth. It was final closure for a brave, young pilot.

After his discharge from the Air Force, Tom attended Washington and Lee University for two years, where he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1948 and went to work for Aetna Casualty & Surety Company. Tom and Ann Harrison married on December 18, 1948 and moved to New Orleans, where he was placed in charge of the Aetna’s Marine Insurance office. Tom, Ann and their two small children, Tom Jr. and Linda, returned to Dallas in 1955 where he opened Faulkner Insurance Agency.

Tom was a member of the Texas Association of Insurance Agents, the Dallas Association of Insurance Agents, a member of the Dallas Country Club for 37 years, an avid SMU football fan and member of the Mustang Club for 60 years. He and Ann were also members of the Great Books Club for 40 years. Tom served two terms as Junior Warden of the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation where he and Ann were also Bethel Bible teachers. In 1998 they both joined the Roman Catholic Church. Tom and Ann both shared a special love for New Mexico, where lifelong family memories were created at their lovely vacation home in Santa Fe.

He considered his five summers as a boy at YMCA Camp Crockett in Granbury, under camp director H. Grady Spruce, to be significant in the shaping of his character. He and his fellow campers, many of whom would become lifelong friends, received moral and spiritual grounding that would serve them well the rest of their lives.

Tom loved golf, painting, writing and, after retirement, honed his gift of writing by completing two books. The first was a 444 page suspense novel called, Starlights, which he self published on Amazon.com. Even now, all who read it are convinced it could be a commercial success. The second, Flying With The Fifteenth Air Force, he completed at the age of 89. It is a compelling account of Tom’s wartime experience, published by North Texas Press, and is still widely read today.

Tom lived a life built on truth, integrity, kindness and love. He had a deep faith in God and did his best to pattern his life after the teachings of Jesus. Tom was a cherished husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He will be greatly missed by everyone whose life he touched in his 100 years on this earth.

A memorial service will be held at Christ the King Catholic Church, 8017 Preston Rd. Dallas, Texas 75225 at 2:00PM on Friday June 27, 2025.

Memorials may be made to YMCA Camp Grady Spruce, 9409 Garland Road, Dallas, Texas 75218, Christ the King Catholic Church or the Salvation Army.