Thomas Thrift Obituary

Thomas "Tom" Edison Thrift SENECA, SC - Thomas "Tom" Edison Thrift, 87, widower of the late Patsy June Collins Thrift, 115 Sunnyview Drive, passed away Monday, January 01, 2018. Tom was one of the owners and co-founders along with his twin Sam, of their family business, Thrift Brothers, Inc. Born in Long Creek, he was the son of the late Julius Berman and Maude Hamby Thrift. Mr. Thrift graduated from Long Creek Academy and received his Honorary Doctorate of Laws Degree from Anderson University. He was a faithful member of Westminster Baptist Church for over sixty years where he served as a Deacon, and on various committees including Finance, Nominating, Building, Personnel and a member of the Cecil Sandifer Sunday School Class. He also was a member of the Westminster American Legion and Lion's Club. Thomas dedicated his life to much humanitarian work with numerous agencies including the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, The South Carolina Baptist Foundation, Connie Maxwell Children's Home, Collins Children's Home, Back 9 Ministry, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Our Daily Rest. Thomas also was a co-founder of the American Federal Bank and Trust Company and a former member of the Associated General Contractors of the Carolinas where the company was chosen for the 2001 Pinnacle Award. He was one of the original founders, along with his twin brother, Sam, of the South Carolina Better Roads and Transportation in the 1980's. Thomas served on the Board of Anderson University and Board of Regents and was awarded the Lifetime Member of the Anderson University Board of Trustees in 2012. Tom and Sam have been instrumental in helping complete many projects for Anderson University. One of the largest on the AU campus is the Thrift Library which was completed in 2007. Most recently, Thrift Brothers, Inc., received the Tri-County Technical College Foundation Philanthropist of the year for 2017. Thomas and Patsy were inducted along with Samuel and Joellen in 2008 to the John C. Calhoun Society of Clemson University for their lifetime contributions. He was a lifelong member of IPTAY for Clemson University and his most favorite pastime other than work and being with his grandchildren, Tom loved watching the Clemson Tigers play football. Mr. Thrift was born during the Great Depression on November 12, 1930, along with his identical twin, Sam Thrift, in Long Creek, SC. They each weighed a mere two pounds, yet they thrived, growing up with seven other siblings in a home where J.B. and Maude Thrift instilled in their children the virtues of Godly love and respect for honest, hard work. The twins were drafted into the United States Army, stationed in Japan and proudly served our country from 1951-1953. As part of the military unit assigned to cleaning up a region devastated by the bombing of Hiroshima, they served over heavy equipment operations and large-scale earthmoving engineering. After returning to the states, Tom and Sam joined their brothers in launching successful business in lumber, pulpwood, hardware stores, road construction and commercial property development. While the makeup of the family business partnerships evolved over the years, Tom and Sam always remained together, working as General Contractors and building hundreds of miles of roads, interstates, shopping centers, manufacturing plants and warehouses to the region. Tom was best known for being one of the most successful road builders in the nation. To read about their life, his twin brother, Samuel, just released a book he wrote, titled, "Thrift: Building a Life". Survivors include his children, daughter Marcia Thrift Hydrick (Tim) of Seneca and their children, Tucker Hydrick of Seneca and Lauren Hydrick of Charleston, and daughter Sherry Thrift Bradshaw (Bill) of Columbia and their children, Brewer Bradshaw (Cassidy) of Seneca, Thomas Bradshaw (Jamie-Keith) of Columbia, and Collins Bradshaw Cromie (Mike) of Raleigh, NC; twin brother, Sam Thrift (Joellen) of Seneca; and sister, Helen Hare of Seneca. Also surviving are brother-in-law, Kenneth Collins and a sister-in-law, Evelyn Grogan both of Westminster. In addition to his wife and parents, he is preceded in death by brothers, Wayne, Ralph, Glenn, and Roscoe Thrift; and sisters, Eunice Derrick, Lois Thrift, and Eula Smith. A private burial service was held at Oconee Memorial Park and a memorial service will be held 2 pm, Thursday, January 4, 2018, at the Westminster Baptist Church. The family will receive friends from 12:30 pm - 1:45 pm prior to the service in the church fellowship hall. The family is at the residence and at the home of his daughter, Marcia and Tim Hydrick. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Collins Home Children's Ministries, P.O. Box 745, Seneca, SC 29679, or Cottingham Hospice House, Attn: Foundation Office, 298 Memorial Drive, Seneca, SC 29672 or to Back 9 Ministries, 1675 Tanglewood Rd, Columbia, SC 29204. Condolences may be expressed online by visiting www.sandiferfuneralhome.com Tom has been most charitable with his resources, sharing their good fortune with others irrespective of their status or circumstances. Seeking nothing in return, his benevolence has been felt by individuals, families, churches, and institutions from all walks of life. SANDIFER FUNERAL HOME IS ASSISTING THE FAMILY Visit our guestbook at www.legacy.com/obituaries/ charleston