Biography: Thomas Harvey Choate, Jr., 80, of Little Rock, passed away on October 12, 2015. He was born on November 4, 1934, in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Thomas Harvey Choate, Sr., and Bertha Chanitz Choate. He grew up in Tuckerman, played basketball for the Tuckerman Bulldogs, and graduated from Tuckerman High School. In 1956, he received a Bachelor?s degree from the University of Arkansas, where he was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. After graduation, he spent two years in California as a Captain in the United States Army. He then returned to Arkansas to work for J.B. Lambert and Son in Helena. In 1964, he acquired the Ford dealership in Helena, beginning a long and influential career in the automotive business. He was elected President of the Arkansas Automobile Dealers Association and also served as a long time board member. In addition to his commitment to the automobile industry, he dedicated much time and energy to community organizations around Eastern Arkansas. He retired from the automobile business in 1997 and moved to Hot Springs where he enjoyed his favorite hobbies, including boating and riding his motorcycle. Tom loved flying airplanes, riding motorcycles, selling cars, and driving boats. He taught countless children how to ski on Moon Lake in Mississippi and on Lake Hamilton. He was a devoted Episcopalian and lifelong Razorback fan. Tom never met a stranger and enjoyed many treasured friendships across the state. From home improvement to hog gear, he never stopped thinking of ways to make life easier and more joyful. Tom was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his loving wife of almost 60 years, Blanche Lambert Choate; sister, Sally Choate Molleston; son, Thomas H. Choate, III of El Dorado; daughters, Martha Murphy (Vent) of Little Rock, and Betty Davis (Kermit) of Murfreesboro, TN; eight grandchildren, Missy Gilliland (Mart), Robin Deal (Chris), Tyler Choate (Marisa), Lauren Eldridge (Preston), Lesley and Jordan Murphy, Ally and Claire Davis; and seven great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, October 14, 2015, at 11:00 a.m., at St. Mark?s Episcopal Church in Little Rock immediately followed by a reception at the church. Burial will follow at 3:30 p.m., at Maple Hill Cemetery in Helena. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Arkansas for the Medical Sciences, 4301 W. Markham St., #543, Little Rock, AR 72205, St. Mark?s Episcopal Church, 1000 N. Mississippi, Little Rock, AR 72207, or St. John?s Episcopal Church, 625 Pecan St., Helena, AR 72342. Arrangements by Ruebel Funeral Home, www.ruebelfuneralhome.com.