A gathering of friends and family to honor the life of Mr. Tommy Rolin Kolb will be held at Rush Funeral Home, Pineville, on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Memorial Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 3, 2026, in the Chapel of Rush Funeral Home, Pineville, with visitation starting at 10:00 a.m. Inurnment will follow in Greenwood Memorial Park, Pineville, under the direction of Rush Funeral Home, Pineville.
Mr. Kolb, 82, of Pineville, entered eternal rest on Monday, August 31, 2026, in his residence surrounded by his loving family.
Tommy Kolb lived a life defined by hard work, service, laughter, and above all else, love.
Tommy was a proud graduate of Pineville High School. He proudly served his country in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War era. He was stationed in Japan for a considerable amount of time and was a Purple Heart recipient. Although he rarely spoke about his experiences during his military service, his family knew that his service was an important part of the man he became.
After his military service, Tommy worked offshore as a mechanic. He was a hardworking and independent man who could figure things out, fix things, and lend a helping hand. He was someone his family could count on when they needed advice, help, or simply someone who knew what to do.
Tommy wasn’t a social butterfly or someone who needed to be the center of attention. He was a kind and caring man who had a way of making the people around him feel comfortable. He was outspoken when he needed to be and wasn’t afraid to stand his ground. And while he could be serious when the situation called for it, he loved to joke and have fun. At a family wedding reception, Tommy was caught on video right in the middle of the dance floor, with one finger on top of his head, twirling around like a ballerina. It was one of those moments that perfectly captured the playful side of a man who could otherwise be steady, independent, and serious when life called for it.
He was stubborn, very stubborn, and fiercely independent, but those qualities were simply part of who Tommy was. He was also hardworking and kind, with a wonderful sense of humor that could make you laugh when you least expected it. Those qualities, both the challenging and the endearing, were all part of what made Tommy uniquely Tommy.
As a father, Tommy was the softhearted one. He loved his children deeply and was always there when they needed him. He had three daughters and a stepdaughter, and over the years, his family grew to include ten grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren.
To his grandchildren, he was Pawpaw. He spoiled those grandbabies rotten and spent countless days taking care of them. He loved traveling with them, playing games, fishing, and building things together. Some of their favorite memories were simply the everyday moments they shared with him.
Tommy loved working with his hands. He enjoyed woodworking and built yard art, cabinetry, bookshelves, desks, and countless other things. He also loved tinkering around in his garden, even if he didn’t actually grow much of anything in it. For Tommy, sometimes the tinkering was the point.
He loved to fish, especially with his nephews, Trey and Darren. Some of their favorite fishing trips took them to Iatt Lake and Nantachie Lake. Fishing gave him another opportunity to spend time outdoors and with the people he loved.
Tommy was also an excellent cook. His roast, rice, and gravy was a favorite meal that his family will remember and miss. He loved watching westerns, loved football, and absolutely loved baseball. Of all the sports, baseball was his favorite.
And then there were the cards. Tommy loved playing cards, and he wasn’t above bending the rules a little. His family will always remember that he had a reputation for cheating at cards, usually with that same little smirk on his face. There are some memories that simply cannot be replaced.
Daddy was many things. Tommy was many things. He was a husband, sharing a life and building a family with the women he loved. He was a father, known for his soft heart and his willingness to always be there when he was needed. He was Pawpaw, the grandfather who spoiled his grandchildren, made memories with them, and gave them his time and attention. He was a great-grandfather, leaving his love and lessons with another generation.
But when all is said and done, Tommy’s greatest legacy isn’t the things he built, the places he worked, or even the stories his family will tell for years to come. It’s the love he gave.
That love lives on in his children, his grandchildren, and his great-grandchildren, in the lessons he taught, the memories he made, the laughter he shared, and all the little pieces of him that each generation carries forward.
He may not have been the loudest person in the room, but his presence mattered. His love spoke through the way he showed up for the people he cared about, the time he gave them, the things he taught them, and the memories he left behind.
Tommy’s story doesn’t end here. It continues in every fishing trip remembered, every family meal, every game of cards, every woodworking project, every laugh, every story, and every time someone sees that familiar little smirk and thinks of him. He will always be Daddy. He will always be Pawpaw. And he will always be loved. He loved his family to the bone. And his family loved him right back.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Annette Deville Kolb; his parents, Bennie and Lottie Kolb; and six siblings, Benny Earl Kolb, Fannie Lou Moore, Frankie Dewayne Kolb, Betty Drue Lacoy, Jerry Neal Kolb, and Perry Ray Kolb.
Those left to mourn his loss and cherish his memory include his daughters, Karyn Burnham, Dana Houk, Jessica Wooten (Derek), and Wyonette Huffman (Bruce); ten grandchildren, Angelique Wooten, Kayla Pearson, Allasyn Villasenor, Dakota Houk, Houston Burnham, Cheyenne Houk, Katlyn Wooten, Katherine Wooten, Dylan Wooten, and Brian Wooten; two sisters, Mary Christell Grant and Audrey Lee Catteruccia; and eleven great-grandchildren.