Some lives are measured in milestones. Others are measured in impact. For Tom Womble, it’s both.

 This May, Tom turns 90 years old and he and his wife, Joe, celebrate an extraordinary 70 years of marriage. Together, those numbers tell a story not just of longevity, but of faith, partnership, and a life deeply rooted in serving others.

 Born on May 16, 1936, Tom has spent nearly nine decades giving back through ministry, leadership, and community involvement. He met Joe in high school and married during his second year at Wake Forest University.  Tom studied psychology and religion at Wake Forest during its transition to Winston-Salem. Even as a student, he was already stepping into ministry, serving small mission churches and helping start a church while living in a modest shared house.  “It was a challenge,” he recalls, balancing school, marriage, and ministry. “But it laid the foundation for everything.”
 
 After graduation, Tom attended seminary in Wake Forest before accepting his first full-time role in Clayton, North Carolina, at Bethesda Baptist Church. With about 90 members, it was a close-knit, rural congregation.

“We learned a lot,” Tom says. “It was a simple life. People shared gardens, shared life.”  It was also where they welcomed their first child, Dan.

Tom later moved to Bladenboro, serving a larger church during a pivotal time in the South. There, he helped lead the integration of the church’s kindergarten—an important and sensitive step supported by local community leaders.

“It wasn’t easy,” he reflects, “but it was the right thing to do.”

During this time, their daughter Elizabeth was born, and Tom became increasingly involved in the state Baptist convention. Later in Bladenboro, Tom led during a time of change, helping integrate the church’s kindergarten. “It wasn’t easy, but it was the right thing to do.”

In 1970, the Wombles moved to Clemmons, where Tom would spend 12 years as pastor of Clemmons First Baptist Church. As the community grew and changed, so did the church, expanding to around 600 members under his leadership. But Tom’s impact extended well beyond the church.  Inspired by a sermon series on civic responsibility, he encouraged others to get involved in their community—and then did just that. 

Tom was elected to the local school board, serving six years before continuing to the North Carolina State Legislature from 1982 to 1984. Though his time in Raleigh was brief, he successfully passed several bills as a freshman legislator, an uncommon accomplishment. During this time, Tom balanced public service, ministry, and family life, with Joe holding things steady at home.  His path also brought unexpected opportunities from meeting Walter Cronkite and Princess Anne to serving as a pastor in the Philippines, where he spent seven weeks immersed in a very different culture. Back home, Tom embraced time with family and the outdoors especially fishing at Cherry Grove, where the family kept a beach home. For a time, he even owned and managed a small hotel while continuing his pastoral work.

Today, Tom and Joe’s legacy lives on through their family: two children, four grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Since moving to Bermuda Village in 2019, they’ve reconnected with many familiar faces from their years in Clemmons. These days, Tom enjoys following Wake Forest sports, spending time with family, and reflecting on a life well lived. 
 
 Above all, Tom remains grateful saying,  “Joe is my blessing. She’s a sweet, humble lady.”  90 years of life. 70 years of marriage. 

 

At 90 years old, Tom Womble’s story is one of steady leadership, quiet strength, and unwavering commitment to others.
 
 And in this community, we are better because of it.