John Thomas

John Alan Thomas
John Alan Thomas passed away in the early hours of September 16, 2022, from bone cancer.
He was born in Princeton, Indiana on January 6, 1934, to Johnathan Thomas and Olive Mae (Grace) Thomas. He grew up on a farm in Princeton. He played basketball in high school; he was also in 4H and a part of boy scouts. John graduated from high school in 1952 and attended the University of Evansville for two years in banking and management. He was drafted into the United States Army in 1956 and was stationed in Colorado Springs until 1958. John then served in the United States Air Force Reserves for five years and went to work for Wholesale Pizza Company in Nashville, Tennessee for 18 years as a district manager. After working for them, he decided he and his wife, Judy, would move to Beaumont, Texas and they opened their own restaurants. John opened Tasty Pizza Parlor and another pizza business in Westlake, Louisiana, where Judy could take care of that business. After two years of working in the restaurant business, he decided to sell the business and open Tasty Pizza Wholesale Company for 25 years. They then left and built a beautiful home in Kerrville, which John loved so much, but their son wanted them to move to Lafayette, Indiana to be closer to them because John had been diagnosed with cancer.

John’s favorite hobbies were sailing and traveling. In 1994, him and his wife started their passion and went to 65 countries until 2018 when they began having health problems.

He is survived by his wife, Judy of 48 years; sons, Keith Thomas (Penny) of Beaumont, Michael Thomas of Houston, and Mark Goodson of Beaumont; daughter, Toni Hyams; son-in-law Michael Pattillo, daughter-in-law, Kim Thomas; grandchildren, Seth Thomas, Anne Thomas, Ian Thomas, Veronica Welch, Jan Gerber, and Emily Guillory; as well as six great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents; sons, Jerry Thomas and Russell Thomas; daughter, Kathryn Pattillo; brother, Gerry; and grandchild, Andrew Thomas.

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, September 20, 2022, at Claybar Kelley-Watkins Funeral Home in Beaumont. Cremation will follow.

Visitation will be prior to the service, beginning at 1:00 p.m. at Claybar Kelley-Watkins Funeral Home.

John was a member of First United Methodist Church in Silsbee, Texas, where donations may be made, in lieu of flowers.

John’s wife and family would like to extend a special thanks to Kindred Hospice and Harbor Hospice for their dedication for the past seven months.