Thomas Gaston III was born on July 7, 1970 to the union of Thomas and Jerelene

Gaston Jr. in Kansas City, Missouri. He accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior at

an early age. He was educated in the Kansas City Public School District. While

attending Westport High School, Thomas was a member of the ROTC and achieved the

highest distinction of All-City Command Officer three years in a row. He graduated from

Westport High School in May 1988.

Thomas had immense creativity and imagination. After graduating high school, he

received a scholarship to attend Penn Valley Community College, where he earned an

associate's degree in Fashion and Merchandising. Later, he attended Concorde Career

Institute and obtained his certifications as a nursing assistant and phlebotomist. During

his career, Thomas worked at various medical institutions throughout the Greater

Kansas City Metropolitan area.

Thomas was passionate about helping others, especially the homeless, often providing

friendship, shelter, and food to them. He had a wonderful sense of humor and was

always ready to make others laugh. He enjoyed watching old sitcoms from the 70s and

80s, scary movies, and listening to 80s music while snacking on his favorite candies,

Hot Tamales and Skittles. In addition, he loved the thrill of visiting amusement parks like

Worlds of Fun.

He leaves to cherish his memory: his parents, Thomas and Jerelene Gaston Jr., of

Kansas City, Missouri; four sisters, Aretha Gaston of Rockford, Illinois, Vanessa (Ben) Nelson,

LaTrisha Gaston, and SaShea Gaston, all of Kansas City, Missouri; three nephews,

Tyler Nelson and Tristan Gaston of Kansas City, Missouri, and Damario Barmore of Rockford, Illinois;

four nieces, Amanda Nelson of Kansas City, Missouri,Damara Barmore, Daresha Barmore,

and Damesha Barmore of Rockford, Illinois; two aunts, Catherine Gaston of Memphis, Tennessee,

and Laura (Charlie) Glasper ofMarion, Arkansas; an uncle, Thomas (Bernice) Johnson of Fort Worth, Texas;

a special cousin, JoAnn Anderson of Houston, Texas; and a host of other cousins, relatives, and friends.