William Thomas "Tom" Brightwell, 91, died Thursday, December 27, 2007, at Southern Care Assisted Living. A memorial service will take place at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 30, 2007, in the First Baptist Church of Tifton Memorial Chapel with Dr. W. Ches Smith, III and Tim Blanton, chaplain of Bethany Hospice of Valdosta officiating. Following the memorial service, a celebration of his life will take place in the Family Life Center of Tifton's First Baptist Church. Graveside services will be held on Monday, December 31, 2007, at 11:00 a.m. in Oak Ridge Cemetery with Dr. Wayne Roe officiating. Pallbearers will be Bert Crowe, Donnell Cullins, Terry Kelley, Sam Mason, Micky Martin, Frank McGill, Mark Sandifer, Roger Walker, Steve Woodham and Theonis Wright. Honorary pallbearers will be Ginny Allen, Sylvia Crowe, Richard and Evelyn Dale, Kenneth and Hannah Davis, Cecil and Shirley Frederick, William Guest, Becky Jones, Christine Kelley, Melody Kennedy, Ann Martin, Linda Mason, Connie Spurlin, Joyce Tyson, Donna Walker, Lillie Belle Washington, Robert Wight, Tisha Williams, Louise Woodham, Billie Worley and Sandra Wright. Additional honorary pallbearers will be former horticultural students at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and members of the Sunbelt District of the Michigan Blueberry Growers Association.
Dr. Brightwell was born on January 12, 1916 in Knoxville, Tennessee and was the son of Walter Greer Brightwell and Myrtle Crawford Brightwell, both deceased. He was also preceded in death by his beloved wife, Mary Little Steele Brightwell; one brother, Walter Crawford Brightwell; two sisters, Rhoda Elizabeth Brightwell and Margaret B. Steinmetz; and two other wives, Ann Tegder English Brightwell and Ellsberry Kent Walker Brightwell.
Dr. Brightwell was a professor emeritus with the University of Georgia College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences; professor of horticulture at the Georgia Coastal Plain Experiment Station and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College; and assistant director of continuing education at the Rural Development Center (now the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center). He previously taught horticulture at Clemson University.
He was a founding member of the Georgia Blueberry Growers Association and received a GBGA award for research leading to development of varieties that greatly contributed to growth of the Georgia blueberry industry. He also received the Pioneer Award from the Michigan Blueberry Growers Association; Big Blue Award from the Florida Blueberry Growers Association; and Certificate of Merit from the Garden Club of Georgia.
Dr. Brightwell was a member of Sigma Xi and Gamma Sigma Delta, honorary professional societies, and the ABAC President's Club. He also was an advisor to the ABAC Horticulture Club.
He earned a Bachelor's degree from the University of Tennessee; Master's degree from Michigan State University; and Doctorate from Ohio State University. He also did post-graduate work at the University of Virginia.
Dr. Brightwell is survived by his daughter, Ellen Steele Brightwell of Tifton; and cousins, Roland Julian of Knoxville, Tennessee, Charles Lasater and his wife, Emily, of Pascagoula, Mississippi, Jimmy Lasater and his wife, Kim, of Redington Beach, Florida, and Barbara L. Volger and her husband, David, of Red Oak, Texas.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Mary Steele and William Thomas Brightwell Horticultural Scholarship through the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Foundation, or the charity of your choice.