Thomas Leroy Horner

Mr. Thomas L. Horner, 69, of Elkhart, passed away peacefully at Elkhart General Hospital on Thursday, August 13, 2020 at 3:45 pm following an apparent sudden illness at home. He was born in Florence, Alabama on Oct. 13, 1950 to the late Leonard Higgins and Mary (Elliott) Higgins Horner, and on April 28, 1973, Tom married the love of his life Helen L. Chilcott, who became his wife, companion, best friend and soulmate for 47 years.  She survives at home.

Also surviving are his children Todd (Nicole) Horner of Wakarusa, Chris Horner of Elkhart and Jennifer (Brad) Klingler of Germantown, IL; his brother Jeff (Faith) Horner of Mishawaka; sisters Shelli (Richard) Cundy of Waukesha, WI and Kelli Strock of Elkhart; grandchildren Nathan Howe, Noah Wright and Liam Horner, and niece and nephews Tessa and Ty Strock and Zachary and Jarod Cundy. Tom is also survived by a host of loving extended family, in-laws, out-laws and various unsavory characters he called friends. He is preceded in death by his precious grandson, Michael Horner.

In accordance with his wishes, Tom is to be cremated with the assistance of his friends down at Billings Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Elkhart. There will be a private graveside service with military honors at the Veteran’s Section of Prairie Street Cemetery at a later date.  

Tom was a career soldier with the United States Army, faithfully serving his country for nearly 20 years until a service-related disability resulted in his early retirement. He was drafted in the early 70’s during the Vietnam War, fulfilled his service obligations, and then rotated home, where he left the service for a short while. However, it wasn’t long before Tom missed the taste of beans, cornbread and 6 am reveilles, so he reenlisted in 1977, where he became a member of the Army’s famed First Infantry Division, or the “Big Red One” (Duty First, Service Always). During his time in the service, he was stationed in Schweinfurt and Berlin, Germany; Ft. Knox, Kentucky; Ft. Riley, Kansas and Ft. Wainwright, Alaska. For the most part, Tom was a platoon sergeant, so there was always a running joke on the relationship between him and his “privates”. He also served as a training instructor, range sergeant and even took training as a firefighter, a skill which served him well later in life. 

 Wherever Tom was, his family followed, making for a close-knit and loving relationship with those most important to him. During his time in the service, Tom enjoyed coaching his kids (including his daughter) in the art of sportsmanship and conduct via football, baseball and basketball. After living several years in Alaska, the family decided that the winters weren’t rough enough there, so they headed for Elkhart, Indiana, where they set up a beautiful post-retirement life for themselves. Soon came grandkids, and they became the absolute center of Tom’s universe. He was also a HUGE “Roll Tide” fan (of course) after the retirement of the great Lou Holtz left a bad taste in his mouth, and was an avid aficionado of Hollywood Westerns, anything written by Enya and yardwork. In fact, he was so fanatical about his lawn even the squirrels were afraid to walk on his grass. Tom also served as a volunteer firefighter with Elkhart County’s Osolo Township Fire Department for several years as well. Tom graced this life with love, honor, service and humility; traits of which have been proudly passed on to his children and grandchildren.

Family and friends are encouraged to browse the funeral home’s website, where one can share the obituary, leave condolences for the family, order flowers, get directions and more.