Double Oak Mayor Thomas J. Pidcock, 72, died Monday of complications from lung cancer, leaving the town in mourning over the loss of a man officials called one of the best leaders and mentors to have ever served there.
Pidcock was elected mayor in 2011 and his term was scheduled to expire next May. Days before his death, several residents visited his hospital room, taking turns sitting by his side.
“It was just amazing to see the community support,” said Mike Donnelly, mayor pro tem and acting mayor. “It showed him and his family that we cared for him and that he was well liked by the people.”
Pidcock had a long history with lung cancer, a battle he often fought quietly as he completed his daily tasks as mayor, Donnelly said.
Pidcock was in and out of the hospital occasionally, but he never let it affect his work as a real estate agent or a town official, he said.
“He also had one lung removed, but you wouldn’t have guessed, considering how much work he did in the community,” Donnelly said.
Unlike larger cities, Double Oak doesn’t have a town manager to handle day-to-day operations, so those tasks usually fell on Pidcock’s shoulders.
For more than 16 years, Pidcock served on and off as an elected official in Double Oak. He was elected to the Town Council for multiple terms, and last year was elected as mayor for the first time.
“Tom was a great guy, leader, mentor and just an overall good person, and it was just in his nature to serve,” Donnelly said.
Donnelly served as mayor before Pidcock stepped in. Donnelly said he knew, given Pidcock’s background, that he would make an excellent mayor.
“I’m the one who first told him that he should run,” Donnelly said, citing Pidcock’s military background.
Pidcock served two years in the U.S. Navy and 33 years in the Army, where he reached the rank of command sergeant major before retiring in 2000.
During his military career, Pidcock was awarded the Army Commendation Medal, Meritorious Service Medal and the Legion of Merit.
“He handled everything like a soldier, even his battle with cancer,” Donnelly said.
Because of his experience, Pidcock was known for mentoring newer council members and town staff.
“Tom had been a councilman for 16-plus years and had at times become quite the mentor to me,” said Charlie Wright, the town’s public works director. “We had quite a lot in common and always had something to talk about. We will miss him.”
Visitation and viewing for Pidcock are scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday at the Flower Mound Family Funeral Home, 3550 Firewheel Drive in Flower Mound.
The funeral is scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday at St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church, 1897 W. Main St. in Lewisville. Burial follows at Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery, 2000 Mountain Creek Parkway in Dallas.
