Tommie Lou Ganus

Tommie Lou (Waldrop) Ganus passed away at home on Thursday, December 5, 2024,
surrounded by her family. Tommie Lou was eighty-five years old when she went to be with her
Heavenly Father; after suffering from vascular dementia, she is finally at peace. Tommie Lou is
preceded in death by her parents, Thomas H. and Sarah Gamble Waldrop, and her brother,
Herbert “Hub” L. Waldrop. She is survived by her husband of sixty-five years, Jack C. Ganus,
and their five children, Greg Ganus (Janene), Jackie Ganus Morales (Juan), Jill Ganus Marriott
(Blan), Melinda Ganus Freeman (Jason), and Buddy Ganus (Pam). Tommie Lou is survived by
her grandchildren, Calvin Ganus (Meghaen), Riley Ganus Perez (Christian), Jake Ganus
(Peyton), Sarah Beth Ganus, Jack Ganus Veitch, Addie and Ellie Morales, Riley Freeman, and
beloved twins, Roman & Dylan Freeman. Her great-grandchildren, A‘mon, Bentley, and Beau
Ganus, survived her. Lastly, she is survived by sisters-in-law, Carol Sue Patrick, Pollye Ganus
Koenig, and Jean Waldrop, along with a host of nieces, nephews, and numerous, beloved
cousins.
Tommie Lou was born at Hillman Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama on October 29, 1939. She
grew up in the area then referred to as the North Highlands community but now known as Valley
Creek. She attended McNeil School from first to ninth grade, earning the honor of Valedictorian.
Tommie Lou was a Class of 1958 graduate of Hueytown High School accomplishing the
following: Varsity Cheerleader, Best All Around, Secretary of Senior Class, Class Favorite,
National Honor Society, and President of the 4H Club, as well as participating in many other
academic and extracurricular activities.
Fellow cheerleader and friend, Pollye Ganus, frequently mentioned her older brother, Jack, who
was serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. It was from Pollye that Tommie Lou heard about Jack
because Pollye “would always wear his shirts, and they were so cute”. Ultimately, during her
senior year of high school, while at the Super Sandwich Shop Drive-In on Bessemer
Superhighway, she met Jack Whether true love of Jack or true love of his nice car, there began
the story of Jack and Tommie Lou. The couple married on January 22, 1960, at North Highlands
Baptist Church in Hueytown, Alabama.
After graduating high school, Tommie Lou attended Montevallo College where she majored in
physical education. However, due to the birth of her and Jack’s first child, she did not complete
the requirements to earn her Bachelor’s degree.
Tommie Lou would have a higher calling, perhaps even more strenuous than teaching P.E. She
became a mother, wife, caregiver, maid, chef, taxi driver in her “red, dangerous Pinto”, and a
“team mom” for decades. She was there for it all: football, baseball, softball, basketball, soccer,
dance, gymnastics, and cheerleading. Amazingly, she also taught five-year-old kindergarten at
First Baptist Church School during this time.
During the ‘70s to mid-'80s, Tommie Lou taught swimming lessons at the Pleasant Grove
Community Pool or “Philpots”. As was told countless times, her swimming skills were acquired

as a small child when her father threw her off her grandparent’s pier into the Little Warrior River
with only a rope around her waist. It is important to note regarding this event, that her father,
Thomas, had a wooden leg due to a hunting accident as a young boy. Tommie’s cousin, Charlie
Gamble, witnessed the event and stated, “ The rope broke, and Uncle Tom rushed to remove his
false leg, jumped into the water, and brought her up to the surface!”. Although young, Tommie
Lou recalled clearly how she “sank a few feet to the bottom of the river and sat in the mud just
looking around!”. Incredibly, she always maintained that she was never scared and credited this
event as the catalyst for her becoming an excellent swimmer.
At 12, Tommie Lou was hired by the Bessemer YMCA to teach swimming lessons. However,
due to child labor laws, the YMCA compensated her with bathing suits instead of money. In
addition, she was a skilled diver and taught diving lessons.
Later in her life, Tommie Lou started a second career as “The World’s Greatest Nanny”. She
drove miles to be present for any event or occasion in her grandchildren’s lives. Anything
important to them, she would be there. Nanny was a great storyteller, entertainer, pretender,
Lego builder, and listener for her grandchildren. She also excelled as a therapist to everyone
blessed enough to have her in their lives.
Most importantly, Tommie Lou was a Christian. She professed her faith in Jesus Christ as her
Lord and Savior when she was eight years old, and she was baptized at Westside Baptist Church
in Bessemer, Alabama. She subsequently joined North Highlands Baptist Church. Tommie Lou
was an incredible example of what it means to be a Christian. After she and Jack married, she
joined First Baptist Church of Pleasant Grove. This church would become her home away from
home.
Tommie Lou immediately became involved as a Sunday School teacher in the girls’ youth
department. Over the years, she and Jack would teach children’s classes for various grade levels.
The former Marine maintained discipline, and she taught the lessons. Tommie Lou was a regular
at the FBCPG women’s volleyball matches every Monday evening. However, it was playing
slow-pitch softball where she truly excelled. Tommie Lou was the FBCPG softball team’s
pitcher from the creation of the team up until she was in her early 60s. There was no relief
pitcher on the roster. It was not necessary. She pitched for multiple independent softball teams
until the mid-1980s as well.
Tommie Lou was highly involved with any activity or event that former FBC Activities Director,
Martha Chandler, would hold at the church. She hosted numerous bridal teas and baby showers.
She participated in the annual Women’s Weekend where her “tablescapes” were always the
highlight. She worked in the kitchen for Wednesday night meals, helped prepare meals for
grieving church family members, and selflessly served God, her friends, her family, and her
community with genuine love and devotion.
She was kind. She was humble. She was hilarious. She was compassionate. Tommie Lou was a
born caregiver, not only to her immediate family, but later in her life, to both of her parents, her
elderly uncles and aunts, her sister-in-law, and numerous others that no one will ever know. She
would bring a ray of sunshine into their lives with each visit. As stated in the old hymn, “Others”

by Charles Meigs, “Others, Lord others, let this my motto be; Help me to live for others, that I
might live like Thee”.
Rest, dear Tommie Lou, Mother, Nanny. Go with the assurance that you have been a dedicated
servant to all who crossed paths with you. You are now in your sweet “Beulah Land” where
there is no pain, you will never grow old, and there will be no more tears. What a great reunion
we know you are having! Oh, how you loved reunions, especially organizing them!

Visitation will be Wednesday, December 11, 2024 at Patterson Forest Grove Funeral Home from 11:00 until 12:00 PM. Funeral service will begin promptly at 12:00 PM in the chapel. Burial will be in the adjoining cemetery.

Patterson Forest Grove Funeral Home is honored to serve the Ganus family during their time of bereavement. Condolences and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.pattersonfuneralhomes.com .