Melvin Thomas Mayberry, known as Tom Mayberry age 73 of Galax, Virginia logged his final flight on Friday, August 18, 2017 at his home with his flying family in mind. Tom was born in Wytheville, Virginia on May 11, 1944. His pilot friends graciously helped him through his final days.

Although Tom worked in education administration during his earlier years, he spent much of his later life working to secure funding for the local airports and working on aviation safety, as well as business management and consulting.

Tom 's love of flying began at an early age when he and his father met Tom Davis the founder of Piedmont Airlines of Winston-Salem, while flying for his father's automobile business. Tom attended Emory and Henry University, graduated from Radford University and did graduate studies at the University of Virginia.

Tom was preceded in death by his father, M.C. Mayberry, his mother, Helen Louise Felty Mayberry, his paternal grandfather, L.D. Mayberry, A Methodist minister, his paternal grandmother, Martha Alderman Mayberry, his maternal grandfather, William Arthur Felty, and his maternal grandmother, Leila Alpha Umberger Felty.

He is survived by cousins, Virginia Felty Sharitz and Gordon Bass, and a dear friend and business associate Shirley Smith. Special thanks to caregiver, Sherri McCraw, to Southwestern Virginia Home Health Care, and to Hospice.

A funeral celebrating Tom's life will be held on Sunday, August 20, 2017 at 3:00 PM in the Vaughan Guynn Chapel in Galax, Virginia with the Rev. Randy Morris officiating. Burial will be in Felts Memorial Cemetery. The family will receive friends Sunday from 2:00 PM until time for the funeral service at the Vaughan-Guynn Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in memory of Tom may be made to www.gofundme.com/tom-mayberry-aviation-scholarship for the Tom Mayberry Aviation Scholarship Fund to be offered to young aviation enthusiasts.