Thomas Charles Bayles Sr.

The Honorable Judge

History and Legacy

For more than 25 years, Aunt Bessie’s served the community and revealed another side of the lawyer and former judge: a hardworking businessman who understood good food, familiar faces, and community.

Thomas's faith was quiet and deeply personal, expressed less through church attendance than through prayer, gospel music, and the way he lived. He believed firmly in honoring his mother and father, and he passed that same sense of duty, integrity, and care for family on to his children.

Thomas was an Air Force veteran, attorney, school board member, judge, entrepreneur, husband, father, grandfather, and caregiver. Yet those titles tell only part of his story. To those who loved him, he was simply Dad, husband, granddad, Uncle Tom, and friend.

Thomas was preceded in death by his parents and his siblings, Robert Lee, Robert Jr., Annie Lee, and Julia Mae, and was the last surviving member of his sibling group.

He leaves to cherish his memory his wife Mary of 62 years; their two children April Jo and Thomas Jr.; his son Jason Pullium; his adopted daughter Mona Amos; five grandchildren, one adopted grandchild, one great-grandchild; a host of nieces and nephews; and a large circle of extended family members and friends.

Thomas Charles Bayles Sr. leaves behind more than accomplishments. He leaves a family, a history, years of public service, a business built through hard work, stories that will continue to be told, and generations who will carry pieces of him forward.

He was loved. He is missed. And his story will live on.

Thomas Charles Bayles Sr. passed away peacefully on September 6, 2026, at the age of 92, leaving behind a life marked by family, determination, service, achievement, and entrepreneurship.

Thomas was born on August 9, 1934, in Birmingham, Alabama, to the late Robert Lewis Bayles and Eddie Lee (Upshaw) Bayles. A powerful influence in his early life was his grandmother, Ethel (Upshaw) Walker, affectionately known as "Muh." He remembered her as a stern disciplinarian whose guidance helped shape the self-reliance and discipline he carried throughout his life.

In 1946, the Bayles family migrated to Ecorse, Michigan, and later established a home on Greyfriars in Southwest Detroit. Thomas remained connected to that home through his young adult years and later returned to help care for his father.

Thomas graduated from Ecorse High School in 1952 and soon afterward joined the United States Air Force. After his military service, he attended Wayne State University, earning his undergraduate degree before continuing at Wayne State University Law School. He was admitted to the practice of law in 1973.

In April 1963, Thomas married Mary Alice Hawthorne and their growing family would remain one of the enduring threads throughout his life.

While practicing law, Thomas was elected to the Highland Park Board of Education. His public service journey later led him to the bench as a district judge in Highland Park, where he served from 1981 to 1986.

After his judicial service, Thomas began another chapter. His entrepreneurial spirit and love of barbecue gave rise to Aunt Bessie's BBQ Ribs and Soul in Detroit.