Dr. Thomas Albert Willingham III Obituary

Dr. Thomas Albert Willingham III

Punta Gorda, FL - Dr. Thomas Albert Willingham III, age 83, died March 2, 2026, following a short illness. He was born in Charleston, South Carolina, December 27, 1942, the son of Thomas Albert Willingham, Jr., and Eleanor Cauthen Willingham. He was the grandson of Edward Everett Cauthen, Sr. (former mayor of Summerville) and Julia Edith Westcott Cauthen. Tommy attended Pinewood School in Summerville as a child.

At a young age, Tom was captivated by science and had his own laboratory over the family garage that he shared with his brother, Mark. Together they studied and experimented with electronics, ham radio, chemistry, biology, and music (piano). A gifted student, Tom entered the College of Charleston at 15, graduating with a B.S. in chemistry at age 19. He began graduate school at the University of NC, Chapel Hill, in chemistry, before entering the Medical College of South Carolina, where he graduated with an M.D. at age 23. Tom returned to Chapel Hill for his medical internship at the University Hospital before completing his Residency back in Charleston at the Medical College of SC. He was subsequently board certified in Psychiatry.

Tom served in the US Navy for two years, then joined the staff of the Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans, LA. After several years, Tom entered private practice in psychiatry in Atlanta, Georgia. Since 1993, he has practiced in Port Charlotte, Florida, and was seeing patients the day before he fell ill.

Tom is survived by his beloved wife of 38 years, Janet Mock Willingham; brother, Dr. Mark Cauthen Willingham of State Road, North Carolina; sister, Ellen Thompson Willingham of Summerville, South Carolina; nephew, Christopher Bradford Willingham of State Road, North Carolina; niece, Meredith Greye Willingham of Buffalo, New York; nephew, Jonathan Morgan Willingham of Washington, D.C.; cousin, Cynthia Cauthen Leland of McClellanville, South Carolina; uncle, Dr. Gene Francis Ostrom of Annapolis, Maryland; cousins, Kristen Ostrom of Hanover, Pennsylvania and Susan Ostrom Ives of Derwood, Maryland; sister-in-law, Annie Mock Chan of Cambridge, Massachusetts; brother-in-law, Tom Mock, Jr., of San Carlos, California; and niece, Ashley Mock Dotson of Asheville, North Carolina.

Many others in Tom and Janet's families survive him and deeply mourn the loss of Tom Willingham. He also leaves behind his devoted cats.

A memorial service will be held at Church of the Good Shepherd in Punta Gorda on March 21, 2026, beginning at 11:00 AM. Burial will be private.

Please consider donations to IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) in honor of Tom's reverence for animals. https://give.ifaw.org/page/ThomasAWillingham

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