Thomas N. Cater II was born on June 24, 1957 in Selma, Alabama to school teachers, Mary and Thomas Cater. Under their spiritual guidance, he accepted Christ as his Savior at a young age at Tabernacle Baptist Church. Tommy attended Selma High School and spent his free time playing drums in the marching band and singing in the school choir. After high school, he attended the University of Alabama where he joined the brotherhood of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Beta Eta Chapter. In 1977, during his senior year at the University of Alabama, he met the love of his life, Valerie Dale. He graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1978.

College sweethearts, Tommy and Val, married on May 22, 1982 and enjoyed 41 years of a loving, supportive partnership. They have two children, Courtney and Thomas III. They have been members of the First Baptist Church of Atlanta since 1989.

Tommy began his professional career by working for IBM in the sales and marketing department. He worked in IBM offices across the south such as Birmingham, Boca Raton, and Atlanta. In 1997, Tommy purchased his first investment property which led to his second career as a real estate investor. A true community servant, Tommy used his expertise in real estate investing to provide affordable housing for low income residents in metro Atlanta and Selma, Alabama.

In 2004, Tommy purchased a property on Mobile Ave in Atlanta. Unsatisfied by the prospect of reselling it as a single-family home, he suggested that Val do something that serves women at the property. His vision and persistence led to the 2005 founding of Gilgal. Inc., a recovery residence for unhoused women with addictions, where over 900 women have walked through the doors and heard the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Tommy was a charter member of the Chi Gamma Gamma chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity in 1988. He was an avid football fan whether it was his son’s pee wee team, the Campbell High Spartans, Alabama Crimson Tide, or the Atlanta Falcons. He enjoyed lazy mornings fishing at his father-in-law’s farm in Alabama. He will be remembered as a kind-hearted man who remained calm and unrattled.

Tommy was preceded in death by his parents, Mary and Thomas Cater. He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Valerie; his two children, Courtney and Thomas III; his sister, Ona Cater Wilson; and a host of other family and friends. He will be deeply missed.

The family thanks you for your prayers, visits, and acts of kindness during this difficult season.

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