Thomas Powell Wilcox Jr.

Thomas "Tom" Powell Wilcox Jr. died Oct. 15. He was 79.

Wilcox was born April 18, 1934, in Detroit, Mich., to Thomas Powell Wilcox, Sr. and Ruth Emily Pelton Wilcox. He grew up and attended elementary and high schools in the Detroit area. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He attended the University of Michigan and then the University of California at Berkeley, where he obtained a master's degree in nuclear physics.

He married Margaret Croft on Aug. 25, 1964, in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple. They had two children, Thomas Powell III and Venna Ruth. They lived in Livermore for five years, Benicia for 15 years and Idaho Falls for 22 years. They moved to Missouri City, Texas, in December 2012 to be closer to their family. Wilcox was a nuclear physicist and worked for the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

An active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he served as a bishop and temple worker. He liked to work with his hands and was an avid sailor. He enjoyed traveling and learning, and was very involved in genealogy work.

Wilcox was preceded in death by his parents and a son, Thomas Powell Wilcox III. He is survived by his wife, Margaret; daughter, Ruth Jeffery (R. Dale) of Missouri City, Texas; daughter-in-law, Crisandra Hamilton (Michael) of Friendswood, Texas; granddaughter, Cassandra Wilcox of Houston, Texas; grandsons, Ryan Jestin Wilcox of Friendswood, Texas, Logan Davis Jeffery of Missouri City, Texas and Spencer Thomas Jeffery of Missouri City, Texas.

Graveside funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22, at Fielding Memorial Park Cemetery. Military rites will be performed by the Bonneville County Veterans Memorial Team and Idaho Honor Guard. Condolences may be sent to the family online.