About The Eatonton messenger. (Eatonton, Ga.) 18??-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 4, 2025)
» Your hometown newspaper since 1861 The Eatonton Alessenger THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2025 | A7 Tommy Lawhorne Life has thrown A-plus linebacker Tommy Lawhorne a curve ball, but the valedictorian of his class, Academic All-America surgeon, and goodwill ambassador extraordinaire has taken a stiff-upper-lip approach to managing illness — just as friends would predict for the handsome native of Sylvester. Those informed of Tommy’s circumstance first need to understand it is not football related. He does not have Alzheimer’s and can lead a productive and fulfilling life following the dictates of an inquiring mind. Tommy has been diag nosed with cognitive impairment and is now focusing on a healthy diet, engaging in daily exercise, and playing brain games on the computer. He appre ciates the importance of staying socially active, which is not a challenge in that he has friends across the state. Lawhorne’s charming wife, Susan, always his confidante and devoted companion, is the ultimate familial caregiver and continues to be his intel lectual partner as well as dietitian and driver. They continue to travel and seek an inquisitive and probing lifestyle, which has always characterized their abun dant lives. How they met and became a lifelong couple is an interesting story. When UGA teammate Mark Holmes told his girlfriend that he had a friend who went to the library every night without fail, she smiled and said, “I have a friend who does that, too.” That friend turned out to be Susan. “We should get them introduced,” Mark said. So, they did. You know the rest of the story. Studying together made Tommy and Susan want to spend their lives together. Constantly reading books and magazines remains a staple of their marriage. Following Tommy’s retirement from a successful medical prac tice, the Lawhornes moved to Sea Island, connecting them geographically with their son, Tom III, also a doctor, and his family, who live a few streets away. Their daughter, Gervaise Gerstner, a highly regarded dermatologist in Manhattan, visits as often as possible. Like most their age, the Lawhornes are Loran Smith Columnist preoccupied with the activ ities of their grandchildren. Football players of his time pay Tommy him the highest compliment of being a good teammate. He always had a bent for humor, keen on wise- cracking with them and springing practical jokes. His roommate was Ronnie “Wild Bull of the Flatlands” Jenkins. They were the odd couple. Tommy the engaging intellectual and Ronnie the aw-shucks country boy who entertained people with his toothless grin and downhome vernacular. When the Athens Touchdown Club honored Jenkins last fall with one of its flashback tributes, Tommy made the trip to Athens to join in the cele bration of Ronnie’s great game in 1966 against Florida, the same game that prevented Steve Spur rier from winning the SEC championship as a player. Over the years, when ever a fellow player was suffering, Tommy reached out to teammates to let them know a friend was in distress. He counseled family and friends. He attended funerals and wakes. His friendship with Paul Handmacher was one of great poignancy. A South Georgia Southern Baptist and a Northside Atlanta Jewish kid were brought together by playing college football. At the height of their professional years, Hand- macher was given to calling his former team- mate and driving the 81 miles from Montgomery, Ala., to Columbus for lunch. Those were warm and emotionally fulfilling sessions when they recalled the high times of being part of a successful college football program — and the gratifying benefits of a warm and enduring friend ship. They didn’t discuss religion, politics, the environment, the Middle East, or the national debt. They expressed their appreciation for having won an SEC champion ship in 1966 and remi nisced about the plays and circumstances that brought the title about. There was talk about family and teammates, their love for alma mater, and their pride in the University of Georgia’s growing reputation as an institution of higher learning. When Tommy and Susan settled in on the Georgia coast, he discovered state residents could enroll in classes at state-supported institutions and audit courses. That was like Br’er Rabbit being thrown in the briar patch. Tommy continues that pursuit with the greatest of personal appreciation. Like a chocolate sundae with a cherry on top, growing up in Sylvester in the ‘50s — he just can’t get enough. Proud of his small-town raising, Tommy often harked back to those days of his youth. He read constantly and did the things many Worth County boys did growing up: went to Boy Scout camp, hunted quail, had a paper route, played the piano. He even picked cotton. The first major book he read was The Bible. After being selected in 1963 as a delegate to Boys Nation, Tommy met President John Fitzgerald Kennedy in Washington. He later wrote the pres ident a letter. Kennedy wrote him back. My guess is that none of his classmates at Johns Hopkins had those experiences and, in all probability, never even read about such. This well roundedness has been an ally throughout Tommy’s life. He speaks endearingly of his teachers along the way, including his chem istry teacher in Sylvester. “He was so good,” Tommy says. “He made chemistry a breeze in Athens.” He had the same regard for his UGA professors when he got to Johns Hopkins. “I was well prepared,” he says. Tommy Lawhorne is an intellectual who has always had the common touch. He has never had an issue or a challenge he could not manage, which should bode well for him with his latest challenge. History is on his side. Public Record Information found on the Putnam County Public Record page has been gathered by The Eatonton Messenger from various institutions and public offices. Reports gleaned from public records reflect the information as it appears on the documents provided. Subscribe online atwww.msgrnews.com EDITOR'S NOTE: Due to technical issues at the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, the jail report was unavailable for this week. The arrests for this week will be printed once they become available. 11 Putnam County Property •lil ■■■ Transfers Through Aug. 22 III Sale Price Buyer Seller Property Address 8/7/25 $955,000.00 Crumbley, Charles Foster, Alan 120B 005 8/8/25 $884,000.00 Pop Divers, LLC Milton E. Miller, III and Jolene Miller 836 S Steel Bridge RD 8/11/25 $2,300,000.00 Robert George Blackadar and Jennifer Elaine Blackadar LeVon A. Bellamy and Yetra D. Bellamy, as Trustees 157 Lakeview DR 8/11/25 $285,000.00 Shepard, Margaret Fichter, Cynthia 180 Crooked Creek Bay RD 8/12/25 $626,250.00 Taylor Hill and Samantha Hill Lake Country Construction, LLC 131 Harmony Bay DR 8/13/25 $865,000.00 Jeffrey Martin and Conni Martin James Mathew Wilkinson and Landon Crosby Nesmith 100 Jackson RD 8/18/25 $3,250,000.00 Matthew Grossman and Holly W. Grossman Daniel A. Danyo and Becky Danyo 151 Blue Heron DR 8/19/25 $60,000.00 Lewis, Daren Hall, Barry 109 Oconee CIR 8/19/25 $325,000.00 CK Carpentry Enterprises, Inc. Marshburn, Bryan 102C 046 8/20/25 $80,000.00 Myers, Rachel Timothy M. Collis and Keith N. Collis 104B 095 8/20/25 $332,000.00 Ransom, Briana Saturnio, Sean 100 Newberry RD 8/20/25 $54,000.00 Combs, Wendy MV Oakridge Land LLC 824 Glades RD 8/22/25 $675,000.00 ADE 1205, LLC, a Georgia limited liability company Pettinicchi- Villegas, Lauren 145 Sunset DR 8/22/25 $430,000.00 Kingdom Way Properties, LLC York, Anthony 113 Little Riverview RD 8/22/25 $475,000.00 Olson, Andrew Nancy G. Miller and Ronald J. Miller 057B-171 8/22/25 $448,000.00 Ellis, Kevin LuckKeyReel, LLC 335 Little River TRL THE PLAZA ARTS CENTER Hyundai stepping up U.S. Dave Williams Capitol Beat News Service Hyundai Motor Group, which opened a huge electric vehicle manu facturing plant west of Savannah last March, is upping its investment in the United States. The Korea-based auto maker announced plans Tuesday to invest $5 billion through 2028 in addition to the $21 billion the company already has committed to U.S. opera tions, reinforcing its long- term commitment to job creation and growth. Highlights of the investment include a new steel mill in Louisiana and construction of a state-of-the-art robotics facility with an annual capacity of 30,000 units. Hyundai also plans to expand its U.S. auto production capacity to meet the growing demands of American investment consumers with greater speed and efficiency, according to a company news release. The Metaplant broke ground in the fall of 2022, an initial investment of $5.5 billion that was later increased to nearly $7.6 billion with the addition of adding 400 jobs on top of the 8,100 originally planned. It remains the largest economic develop ment project in Georgia history. 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