Terry Thomas

Terry Thomas, our husband, dad, papa, brother, uncle and friend moved on to the big bowling alley in the sky on Tuesday October 27, 2020. He was born in Marion, Indiana on January 22, 1947 to Areletta and Cleo Thomas. Growing up on the lake made for fun stories. Learning to drive and work on cars made for even better stories. After he picked up on his soon to be wife at the dry cleaners, while on leave from Vietnam, Amanda Finch chased him to Nellingen Germany, where they were married. They have been living an amazing adventure for 52 years.

This is our dad: The world’s greatest Papa, our Papa. Master Technician. Veteran. Helicopter flight engineer. Race car driver. Foodie. Snow skier. 300 game bowler. Joke teller. Mischief maker. Smirk sharer. The man who taught me how to scare people. Cherry pie pit finder. Lover of knowledge. Dreamer. Believer of good energy. Ketchup bun receiver. Inventor of wiener water soup. Floor scrubber, Bed maker. Original shampoo man. Animal whisperer. All around McGyver. Found a tarantula and took him to the beach with us. Had the opportunity in the middle of the night, to change a tire in one of the scariest neighborhoods in Phoenix, that even the policeman wouldn’t get out of the patrol car to help him. After a night of drag racing, drove his car home in the snow on race slicks. Beachgoer and boogey boarder.  Swimmer. Soaker of the sun. Alcohol aficionado. Hater of olives, pineapple in yams and walnuts. Letter writer. Incurable romantic. Soul mate. Friend. Fierce fighter. Fought his hardest battle yet and is now at rest. So many memories and so much love. We will miss him tremendously every day. Not sure how the world keeps spinning without his smile and tremendous laugh, but as he and mom always say, “Time to get moving!”

Survived by his wife Mandi, kids Traci and Troy Brady, Tera and Dave Daniel, grandkids, Kaitie, Josh, Tyler, Brenna, Mia, Emma, Owen, Clay, Chloe and Maizie. One great grandbaby, Cleo. Sisters and brothers  Gretta Guisinger,  Renee Thomas, Ernie and Ellie Finch, Marguerite Copeland, Mark Finch and many nieces and nephews.

No formal services will be held.