Tommy Tankersley

Tommy Gale Tankersley, 72, of Danville, Virginia passed away at his home on Saturday, May 20, 2023, after a courageous battle with cancer.

He was born on September 17, 1950, in Kingsport, TN to the late Elige & Eula Tankersley. Tommy and his family moved to Danville when he was a young child.

Tommy is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Patsy Philpott Tankersley; his two daughters, Robin Fletcher and her fiancé, Kenneth Kitchen of Forest, VA and Stephanie Miller and her husband, Marc, of Raleigh, NC; four granddaughters, Olivia Grace Miller and Emma Reese Miller of Raleigh, Abbey Gale Alford of Danville, Madison Ware Seamster and husband, Joe, of Danville; and two great grandchildren, James Paul “JP” Seamster and Hadley Jane Seamster. He is also survived by his sister, Phyllis Inman of Danville, special nephews Jeff Inman of Houston, GA and David Inman of Danville, and several great nieces and nephews.

In addition to his parents, Tommy was pre-deceased by his brother, William Tankersley and sister-in-law, Lou, of Kingsport, TN; sister Carolyn Watson of Eden, NC; and special brother-in-law, Hubert Inman of Danville.

Tommy’s life was fully-lived – filled with love and laughter. He was the most loving, caring, and patient husband, father, grandfather, and friend. Tommy loved his family more than anything and had an incredibly special relationship with each of his grandchildren who adored their “TT” beyond measure. Nothing made him happier than spending time with his family. He was kind, wise, and so funny, known for his hilarious one-of-a-kind sayings that his family called “TT’isms”.

Tommy spent his entire career in the printing industry, the first 28 years of which he was employed by McCain Printing in Danville. Tommy retired in 2016 from Multi-Packaging Solutions in Greensboro, NC.

Tommy was the world’s biggest fan of the Andy Griffith Show, a skilled poker player, and an avid golfer. He always said he wished he could recover enough to start playing golf again. It brings his family great peace knowing that he is now able to play again in Heaven. He also loved working out and was a member of the Danville YMCA for many, many years. Most weeks, he went to the “Y” every day until his health prevented him from doing so. After each of his cancer surgeries, the first question he would ask his doctor was, “when can I go back to the gym?”

Tommy’s courageous journey with cancer began in 2012. Despite his battle with cancer over the last 10 years, Tommy stayed positive, always smiling and making others laugh. He never wanted anyone to know when he was having a bad day. He always said he was thankful to simply have another day here with his family.

A Celebration of Life service will be held on Thursday May 25, 2023 at 2:00 pm at Compassion Church, 215 3rd Avenue, Danville, VA 24540 officiated by Pastor Jeff Lynch. At other times, the family will be at the residence.

A special thank you to the nurses at the UNC Hillsborough Oncology Infusion Clinic for providing Tommy with the most compassionate care over the last few years. They were like family and he looked forward to spending time with them each week. His family would also like to thank Dr. Timothy Brotherton for the exceptional care he provided Tommy until the time of his retirement from UNC as well Dr. Tracy Rose and her team at UNC.