Tom Belcher

Tom Belcher, long-time resident of Chandler, Oklahoma, passed away on Thursday, May 11, 2006. He will be remembered by family, friends and thousands of young men as the owner of the Chandler Baseball Camp, a cornerstone of the community and a place where boys learned the lessons of the game and life. Born in Oklahoma City, on October 17, 1940, Tom began playing baseball as a young boy. His love, dedication and commitment to the game led him to become the ace pitcher at the University of Texas at Austin, from 1958-1962. While at Texas, he was named All-Conference, Most Valuable Athlete, and pitched in two College World Series tournaments. Signing with the New York Mets out of College, he went on to spend three years in the New York Mets organization. Tom and his family moved to Chandler in 1969 where he worked alongside his brother, Jim, and his father, Bo. Working with youth baseball became his life?s passion. Tom was involved with many civic activities, including the Chamber of Commerce and the Chandler Library. He is survived by his two daughters, Leslie Belcher and Amy Turcotte, and two grand-children, Thomas and Katherine Sowell, all of Alexandria Virginia. His parents, one son, Russell, and one brother, Jim preceded Tom in death. To honor his many years of teaching and training young men, his daughters have established a memorial fund in his name. Gifts may be sent to the Boys and Girls Club of America, 1275 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30309. Memorial services will be held, Tuesday, May 16, 2006, at 10:00AM at First United Methodist Church in Chandler, Services are under the direction of Parks Brothers Funeral Service in Chandler.