William “Bill” Edward Thomas
William “Bill” Edward Thomas
William “Bill” Edward Thomas
September 17, 1949 – December 17, 2017
What Cheer, Iowa | Age 68
William “Bill” Thomas, 68, of What Cheer passed away at home on Sunday, December 17, 2017. William Edward Thomas was born on September 17, 1949 in Oskaloosa, Iowa, the son of John and Mary Fender Thomas.
Bill was raised on the farm and graduated from Tri-County High School in 1967. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1969 and was medically discharged in November of 1970.
In June of 1971, he married Nancy Garber. To this union were three children, Rusty, Heather and Jason.
Bill worked for Wilcox Garland Furniture, Cargill, and over 20 years for his brother Jack at Thomas Electric. He retired from Thomas Electric in 1999 but still served as a consultant to his older brother whether he needed to or not.
Bill enjoyed hunting, fishing and most anything outdoors. He had a soft spot in his heart for animals and over the years had several pets including bears and raccoons. Bill always enjoyed having a good time with his friends and family. Above all he was most proud of his grandchildren and never missed an opportunity to brag about them.
Bill is survived by his three children: Rusty Thomas of What Cheer, Heather (& Garrett) Deucore of Barnes City, Jason Thomas (& Tina Jackson) of What Cheer; two sisters: Kathy (Brownie) Brown of Bloomfield, and Jennifer Meyer of Delta; two brothers: Jack (& Terry) Thomas of Oskaloosa and John (& Kathy) Thomas of Ottumwa. He also leaves behind eleven grandchildren: Tyler Hoskins, Dalton Thomas, Natorie Thomas, Dakota Thomas, Clayton Thomas, Emma Deucore, Reace Thomas, Zoe Deucore, Wyatt Deucore, Emma Staube and Gracie Staube.
He is preceded in death by his parents, John and Mary Thomas.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, December 22, 2017 at 10:00 am at the Holland-Coble Funeral Home in What Cheer, Iowa.
Visitation will begin at noon on Thursday, with the family present from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
Burial will be held in the Rice Cemetery at What Cheer.
Memorial contributions may be directed to the family.
Friends may sign the online guestbook at hollandcoblefuneralhomes.com.
