Funeral services for Noel Tumlinson, 80, Athens have been scheduled for 11 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2016 at Living for the Brand Cowboy Church with Rev. Dale Perry officiating. Burial will follow at Moorehead Melton Cemetery.
Mr. Tumlinson passed away Jan. 17, 2016 in Athens.
He was born Sept. 25, 1935 in Goldthwaite, Texas to the late Obie Ray and Vesta Zola Williams Tumlinson. Noel was raised in San Angelo and graduated from San Angelo High School where he met Vivian and married soon after graduation. He enrolled in the military for several years and in 1960 he moved to Del Rio and put in a go cart track that was extremely successful. Noel eventually returned to San Angelo for a year, he worked for a company building sailboats. This endeavor led him to move to Valdosta, Georgia with his family in where he became the Regional Sales Manager in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, North Carolina and South Carolina for Thompson Boats.
In 1968, Noel quit his job in a quest for starting his own boat company somewhere in Texas. He drove into Athens with a mere $7,500 in his pocket and was fortunate to meet Mr. Charlie Hooser at the B&B Café whom offered him a loan if he would start his new business in Athens. Bill Key walked in shortly after, and Dad decided it was destiny… He and Bill had grown up together in San Angelo and for the first time in his life, he knew Athens would be home.
He leased a building at the corner of West Corsicana and North Gauntt and they produced two types of boats, completing initially one boat a week with a skeleton structure and 3 people. Four years later, he purchased the old Fisher High School Gym and the business grew quickly with production.
Noel served as president of the Boating Trades Association of Texas with 500 members, and in 1974 served as Secretary/Treasurer of the BTAT. He also served on the Athens Chamber of Commerce and First State Bank Board and was active in the community.
Later in life he married Karen Ashton on Sept. 26, 1987 and our families were blended together as one. Survivors include his wife of 28 years Karen Tumlinson, five children, Jerry Tumlinson and wife Ange, Carolyn Tumlinson, Paige Tumlinson, Bobby Karl Ashton and wife Carla, Wesley Don Ashton, brother, Norman Tumlinson, 11 grandchildren , 1 great grandchild and precious friends Ray and Joyce Baker, Carol Graves, and family sons, Wayne Carroll and Charles Melton.
Pallbearers will be Jerry Tumlinson, Michael Vaughn, Sr., James Carhart, Charles Melton, Tom Ward, Clay Jones.
Honorary pallbearers are Ray Baker, Randy Shelton, Justin Smith, Cody Jones, Michael Vaughn, Jr., Mikel Smith, Kelly Ashton, Colton Tumlinson and Zach Ashton, Gail Finch and Jerry Boyd.
Visitation is scheduled from 6:00-7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers memorial may be made to Living for the Brand Cowboy Church, P.O. Box 2178 Athens, Texas 75751.
If you would like to leave a message of condolence or light a memorial candle for the family you may do so at www.carroll-lehr.com.