R. Keith Thomas

December 15, 1923 – December 13, 2012

Raymond Keith Thomas, Jr. was born in Glen Campbell, Pennsylvania on December 15, 1923. Keith was the son of Raymond Keith Thomas, Sr. and Mary Edna Elbel of Glen Campbell, Pennsylvania.

As a young man, Keith liked to hang out with his friends, George and Donnie, go to John Wayne movies, and shoot shotguns. He was a hard worker, going door-to-door selling magazines for Colliers so he would have pocket money to go see the movies he loved. He was an excellent student and graduated from Glen Campbell High School in June of 1941 at the top of his class.

After high school, Keith briefly attended Waynesburg College, but chose to leave school to enlist in the military. He was commissioned as a First Lieutenant, U. S. Army Air Corps and served as a navigator in the 778th Bombardment Squadron, 464th Bombardment Group, Fifteenth Air Force stationed at Pantanella Airfield in Italy. He flew aboard B-24 Liberators on missions over Italy and Eastern Europe.

After returning from military service, Keith attended Carnegie Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where he graduated June 14, 1951 from the College of Engineering and Science with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering. He was a member of Sigma Nu Fraternity. It was at Carnegie Tech that he met his future bride, Letty Lou Cook. Keith and Letty Lou were married in her parents’ home in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania on December 20, 1947.

After a short period of employment in St Louis, Missouri, Keith became employed by the American Synthetic Rubber Corporation in Louisville, Kentucky and retired from there after 30 years of service. He was an avid bowler and was on a company team for many years. Not long after retirement, Keith and Letty Lou moved to New Port Richey, Florida. One of his favorite retirement pastimes was to work the daily newspaper crossword puzzles. Throughout his life, he spent many hours following the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pirates, and he added the Rays to this select group when he moved south.

Keith, Letty Lou, and daughters Diane and Dana enjoyed vacationing together to such places as Washington, D. C.; St. Augustine, Florida; Gatlinburg, Tennessee; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Plymouth, Massachusetts; and Niagara Falls, New York. Keith took up sailing and loved his 21’ sloop, Nugget. It was especially fun to sail during their yearly July 4th holidays at Lake Cumberland with a group of family friends, where they would spend a week swimming, sailing, and waterskiing.

Keith and Letty Lou were world travelers as well. They toured Europe, cruised the Mediterranean, and traveled by train across North America. They loved to sail the seas, crossing the Atlantic on a big ship, cruising off the Alaskan coast, and venturing from California through the Panama Canal to Florida. They made new friends wherever they traveled.

Christmas was always special at the Thomas house. Keith was a generous giver. His favorite thing to do that time of year was to make his special fruit salad. He first started making this tasty salad when he was a boy. And, whenever he and Letty Lou hosted a dinner party, you could count on him to whip up bananas flambé for dessert.

A lifelong member of the Presbyterian Church (USA), Keith served many years as treasurer at Faith Presbyterian in Valley Station, Kentucky. He was an active member of Seven Springs (now Trinity) Presbyterian Church in Florida where he served as an usher and greeter. They made new friends there and shared fun times with their Dining with Friends groups.

Keith is survived by two daughters, Diane Rhodes (Richard) and Dana Huckstep (Thomas), and three grandchildren; Colin Huckstep (Erika), Dr. Emily Rhodes, and Katherine Rhodes, his sister, Peggy Powers (Art) and brother Bob Thomas (Shirley).

Keith’s beloved Letty Lou went to be with her Lord in July 2008. They had been married for almost 61 years. Keith continued to putter around the house in Florida. It was during that time that he had a serious fall that injured his back. He travelled to Indianapolis to receive medical care while being close to family. His health continued to decline, and on December 13, 2012 he was called home to be with his heavenly Father, just two days shy of his 89th birthday.

Condolences may be offered at www.feeneyhornakkeystone.com.