Surrounded by his loving family, Thomas Miller Cross III, age 62 of Knoxville, Tennessee went to be with the Lord on January 9, 2021 due to complications from a brief illness following diagnosis of Hereditary Amyloidosis. Beloved husband, son, brother and friend, Tom is survived by his loving wife of 25 years Sonya McGill Cross. He is preceded in death by his mother Molly Helen Forbes Cross. Survivors include his father, Thomas M. Cross Jr. of Blountville, TN, and his siblings, M. David Cross (Pamela), Robin Cross Siekerman (Alan), Beth Ann Cross, several adored nieces and nephews, and an extraordinarily close-knit group of high school friends he called his brothers.
Born in Blountville, Tennessee, Tom learned the value of hard work on the family farm and first demonstrated competitive drive in the classroom and on the football field. As a youth, among a list of many accolades he was named Scholastic Scholar Student Athlete of the Year in 1976 while attending Sullivan Central High School. A 1980 graduate of The University of Tennessee Knoxville, he earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with highest honors. In 1993 Tom received his designation as a Certified Public Accountant from The State of Tennessee and completed his Master of Business Administration from Lincoln Memorial University in 1999.
He received numerous recognitions of distinction throughout his professional career with over thirty years of experience in project management, finance, accounting, operations, and systems management for Manufacturing, Financial, and Healthcare organizations. After working with Alcoa and DeRoyal Industries, Tom joined Siemens Corporation in 2002 and was currently serving as CFO of Siemens PETNET Solutions company operating the world’s largest cyclotron equipped PET nuclear pharmacy network.
A passionate VOL fan, Tom relished spending Saturdays with friends and family while tailgating at Neyland Stadium and attending UT football and basketball games. He loved traveling with Sonya to many global destinations and particularly liked outdoor activities of hiking and snow skiing. Tom cherished time with family, especially his nieces and nephews during beach vacations and holiday gatherings.
Due to COVID restrictions, a celebration of life will be held on a later date. Online condolences may be extended at jacksonfuneralservices.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Beulah Baptist Church, 491 Beulah Church Road, Kingsport, TN, 37663; Tickle Small Animal Hospital, The University of Tennessee at vetmed.tennessee.edu; and the Amyloidosis Foundation at amyloidosis.org.
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of THOMAS MILLER CROSS, III, please visit our floral store.