The Idle American: A classic homegoing

Members of Dallas’ First Assembly of God Church could hardly have realized what a dynamic duo they called to lead them beginning in February 1998.

Right alongside Rev. Thomas "Tom" Myers McMahan was the former Linda Diane Featherston. Actually, her credentials, zeal and commitment were equal to his, and their joint bond in answering the highest of callings was remarkable. Her death at age 76 on June 18 ended her earthly Christian service and 58-year marriage. But grand memories held by several hundred folks at her funeral - and thousands of others around the world - live on. For starters, she was multi-talented, always ready to use every opportunity to emphasize that all things are in God’s control.

She was highly skilled in event planning, including weddings and funerals, and was a professional floral arrangement specialist for Albertson’s. Further, she was a life coach for Segue Ministries’ program for ministers’ wives, and was voted “most beautiful” in 1967 during her senior year at Dallas’ Adamson High School.

Tom made opening remarks at her memorial service on June 26 at the church where he was senior pastor for 16 years.

His words? “At the conclusion of the service today, the funeral director will reopen the casket for our last viewing of Linda’s bodily remains….If you

are absolutely certain that your relationship with God through Jesus Christ is healthy and sure, simply pass by. But, if there is a doubt or question

about your spiritual relationship with Jesus, stop and look at Linda. Make it a long look, for if you don’t get it right with the Lord, it’ll be the last time you ever see her.”

Point taken.

With a musical and business background, Tom started at the totem pole’s bottom with J. C. Penney Company at age 16, rising quickly to store management, then corporate roles. He had conferences regularly with JCP himself, who once admitted that he was certain that half of his advertising budget was misspent, but wasn’t sure which half! (Sam Walton, founder of Walmart and Sam’s, was one of Penney’s students.)

A monumental goof early in Tom’s business career could have ended it, but thanks to his ingenuity, all became positive. Ordering garden hoses, he intended to order one pre-pack that included 144 hoses. But instead, he’d ordered 144 pre-packs. Do the math!

He enlisted other store personnel who wore promotional necklaces in the selling of more than 300 hoses ONE Saturday! (Previously, that’s about how many they sold ANNUALLY!) The hoses - bought for 99 cents each - were sold for $1.99. He contacted other JCP managers across the nation, offering hoses on the same basis. During one weekend, all of the 21,000-plus hoses were sold. Tom’s ingenuity was shared with all 1,700 JCP stores.

Born in Dallas in 1946 and an Irving High School graduate, Tom remains immersed in Christian service. For the past five years, he has served in senior adult ministries for 600 churches in the North Texas District.

He is comforted at home by his three dogs, each bearing two-word names. The pets went with Tom in a motor home to Branson, Missouri, recently.

Tom would NOT leave them in a pet spa, or any place where they’d be numbers, not names. Learning that it would cost several hundred dollars to share a motel room, Tom decided to share his motor home.

Oops! Space is almost completely taken, and I’ve written nothing of other survivors.

But, it’s not too late, this family of love fostered by Tom and Linda Diane that began months after their first meeting at a Fort Worth banquet, where

he wrote these words on a napkin: “I’m going to marry you.” Beyond unorthodox? Of course it was; it sounded more like a demand than a query! A few months later, the knot was tied.

Along have come sons Tommy (wife Sharon) and Matt (Tiffany), five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

There are yet many twigs to be bent for Christ. And, Tom has the vision, courage, determination and privilege to do the bending.

Dr. Newbury, longtime chancellor of Howard Payne University, lives in the Metroplex. Email: newbury@speakerdoc.com. Website: www.speakerdoc.com. Phone: 817-447-3872.