Thomas Crooks Ferguson, 87, born in Henderson, KY, on November 27, 1933 to Thomas Clyde Ferguson and Grace Crooks Ferguson, passed away on June 28, 2021, in Jacksonville, FL.

Tom dedicated his career in service of his family and his country.  Receiving an education at Vanderbilt University (B.A., 1955) and Vanderbilt Law School (J.D., 1959), and serving in the United States Army in 1956, Tom began his career practicing law in Chicago, IL, and later in Owensboro, KY.  He then served as Marketing Manager to Pharmaseal Labs in Glendale, CA, from 1963 to 1975.  Thereafter, he purchased Brevard Marina and moved to Melbourne, Florida.

In 1982, Tom began his service in the United States Government as Director for the Eastern Caribbean for the Peace Corps, overseeing operations in ten countries throughout the region.  In this role, Tom received an Achievement Award in appreciation and recognition of a special act of service during the Grenada Intervention.

Tom went on to serve as Deputy Commissioner of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service from 1984 until 1987, leading early calls for immigration reform that would ultimately end up in the Immigration Act of 1990.  Tom’s primary contributions to the legislation include Border Security and the concept of employment-based Visas, including the innovative EB-5 immigrant investor visa.

On April 8, 1987, President Ronald Reagan nominated Tom to be Ambassador of the United States to Brunei Darussalam.  In his role, Tom represented his country on diplomatic missions throughout Southeast Asia and was responsible for all components of the U.S. Embassy.

Tom is survived by his beloved children, Leslie Ferguson Moeini (Arjang) and Ian Thomas Ferguson (Laura); his adored grandchildren, Ainslie Langford and Arman Moeini; and his cat, Cami.

Services will be held on Thursday, July 8, 2021, at 1:00 pm, at Ponte Vedra Valley, 4750 Palm Valley Road, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, 32082.

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