Thomas Yost

Thomas Marion Yost, age 76 of 1203 Flintshire Drive, Albemarle, NC 28001, passed away on August 12, 2010 at home in Albemarle. A memorial service will be 4:00 pm Sunday, August 15, 2010 at First Presbyterian Church of Albemarle with visitation from 3:00 until 4:00 at the church. At other times the family will be at the home. Born in Weaverville, NC on April 25, 1934 to the late Neta Lucile Penland Yost and Marion Francis Yost. Tom graduated from Weaverville High School in 1952. A graduate of Duke University in 1956 with a Bachelors Degree in Psychology, he was a member of Theta Chi fraternity. He graduated from UNC-CH in 1959 with a Bachelor of Science in pharmacy. At UNC he was inducted into Rho Chi, an honorary fraternity for academic excellence. Tom became a certified pharmacist in 1960. While in college Tom worked in Sutton’s Drug Store in Chapel Hill. After graduation he moved to Greensboro and worked as a pharmacist for Edmund’s Drug Store from May 1960 until February 1963. He then moved to Albemarle to work at Phillip’s Drug Store, working as manager for several years and then purchasing the store from M. Brown Phillips. Beginning in 1976, Phillip’s Drug Store began serving nursing homes and group homes. In 1980 he began to service the Stanly County Health Department. After three attempts to purchase his store, Tom sold Phillip’s to Eckerd Drugs on November 30, 1983. He then worked as a pharmacist at Eckerd Drugs full time for 14 years and part-time for 4 years, bringing many of his previous customers with him. Tom was an ordained deacon and elder at First Presbyterian Church for 14 years and served on the board of directors of several nonprofit organizations; including Stanly County Hospice, the Merchant’s Association, and the Mental Health Association. He was a Boy Scout Cubmaster and worked with the Stanly County Commission of Scouting, teaching cubmasters and den mothers. He became very active in NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) in 1988 and continued his involvement for the rest of his life. As North Carolina began to require the separation of management from mental health providers, Tom served on the charter board to form a new organization to treat mental illness. This board representing Cabarrus, Union, Stanly, Rowan, and Davidson counties established Daymark Recovery in July of 2003, which launched in January of 2004. Tom was very proud of this work. Tom is survived by his wife of 52 years, Carole Soles Yost; two sons, Thomas Marion Yost, Jr. of Albemarle.; Steven Vernon Yost and wife Deborah Albritton of Whiteville, NC; one daughter, Laura Jenrette Yost-Grande and husband, Leonard Grande of Chapel Hill, NC; one grandson, Nicholas William Grande; one brother, Dr. William Yost and wife Phyllis of Granite Falls, NC; one sister Sara Yost Alligood and husband William of Concord, NC; three nieces, two nephews and a dear special friend Anita “Bunky” Burnett Brown. Memorials may be made to NAMI of Cabarrus County, 331 East Corbin Ave., Concord, NC 28025; or First Presbyterian Scholarship Fund, PO Box 1578, Albemarle, NC 28002