TOM EGGLESTON & FAMILY--
LITTLE KNOWN FACTS
(For visuals, see: Photo Album)
Born in Port Sulphur, Louisiana (Cajun country)
Full name is Tommy Dean Eggleston (named after Mom's father, Tom).
Tom's mother, Jan, had her appendix removed when she was 7 months pregnant with Tom.
Tom started walking at 7 months of age (yes, it's true, ask Mom.)
Cum Laude graduate with Bachelor of Music Education from William Carey College, Hattiesburg, MS, piano major, voice minor
Nicknamed "The Egg" in college.
Master of Church Music from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, KY, piano major, organ minor, composition emphasis
Tom was a singing waiter at the Farmhouse Restaurant in Blowing Rock, NC,
the summer of '72.
Served for 10 years as a Minister of Music in 4 states (KY, WV, GA, SC)
Tom was the first full-time Minister of Music to serve in West Virginia in SBC.
Married Delores (Palmer) in 1978. She has been the chaplain at Lexington Medical Center Extended Care in Lexington, SC since 1998.
Son, Travis was born in 1982.
Tom plays on a 6'3" Knabe piano that was built in 1905 (100+ years old).
Served with Home Mission Board/North American Mission Board, Atlanta area for 19 years (2 1/2 years as research assistant; 16 1/2 years as national missionary for creative arts and special events ministries.
Tom has a collection of over 50 ocarinas from all around the world. Ocarinas are ancient instruments (globular flutes) originating in central Africa and ancient China.
Founder and creative director of Missions Live, a national touring team with HMB/NAMB (1993-2000).There were six teams of collegiate students who traveled the nation (35 states) performing and ministering through music, drama, and interpretive movement.
Tom still plays his 51 year old Conn trumpet, bought when he was 9 years old.
Served for almost 6 years as Associate Director of the Worship & Music Office of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, Columbia, SC.
Son, Travis was married in 2004 to Clare (DeFoor). They reside in Athens, GA. Travis is a Team Leader for Dial America and Clare teaches elementary music in the Athens area.
Because Travis married Clare, we now have wonderful "in-laws", Fred & Cindy DeFoor. Fred has been Minister of Music at St. Andrews Baptist Church, Columbia, SC since 1987 and Cindy has been an outstanding special education teacher for many years.
Tom is an artist of diverse talents: an accomplished composer; a gifted pianist, a dramatist portraying an alter-ego, "Floyd"; a trumpet player; a fine choral conductor; and a great player of an unusual folk instrument called an ocarina (a globular flute).
In some circles Tom is known as T.O.M. (The Ocarina Man).
One of Tom's hidden talents is expert hula-hooping ability having won the 2006 Youth MusicArts Camp (Anderson University) contest and the Orlanda, Florida Fairfield Resorts Adult Hula-Hooping pool-side contest in July of 2006. One of the remarks of a young teenager observing the contest was, "Look at that old man go."
