Carl Otis Thomas

Carl O. Thomas was born June 3, 1935, and was raised in Texas and Oklahoma by his grandmother and mother. He attended college in Texas, living at home and working summers as a roustabout in the oil fields. In 1959 he moved to Washington, D.C., where he worked for the U.S. Patent Office and attended George Washington Law School at night. He met his wife Susan in 1961 as she was entering her junior year at college in NYC. They were married four days after Susan graduated.

From 1964 to 1970, Carl worked as a Patent Attorney for General Electric. He was later recognized for his role in GE’s provision of fuel cells to the Gemini space program during those years. In 1970 Carl joined Eastman Kodak, the largest employer in Rochester, NY. He secured patents around the world for T-grains, the “magic ingredient” behind the introduction of high-speed film.

Carl was always “doing something,” preferably outside. As an early convert to Kenneth Cooper’s Aerobics (1968), he jogged daily for 50 years, one year hitting a target of 1,000 miles. He and Susan bicycled extensively, and spent many winter vacations on the Gulf Coast of Florida, first with their two younger children and later with their favorite bridge companions, Susan’s parents Ruby and Maurice.

Ever the naturalist, over the years Carl undertook projects in the yard ranging from construction of an ingenious tree fort on stilts for his children to planting 800 violets in the shade. Delightfully artful tall grass and floral patches punctuated by hefty boulders hauled from local creeks then gradually appeared out front.

Carl and Susan became square dancers in 1990, embarking on a wonderful 30-year experience of friendships and exercise. They both served on the Village Squares board in various capacities — most recently as treasurers. In retirement, Carl also briefly turned his hand to writing, which he had always enjoyed, quickly authoring A Marriage in Snodgrass, his first and only novel.

But Carl’s most engaging new hobby during retirement was bird watching. He travelled from Costa Rica to Alaska - usually with Susan - and ultimately ended up with a count of over 600 species on his life list.

During the later years of Carl’s life he was diagnosed first with Parkinsonism, then with cognitive impairment. He continued to exercise daily, square dance weekly, and accompany Susan on walks. He and Susan moved to Overland Park, Kansas in November, 2022 to be closer to family. After Carl was hospitalized briefly in April 2023, his health declined precipitously, and he passed away peacefully on September 27, 2023, at the age of 88, with local family at his side. He is survived by his wife Susan; daughter Linda (Anthony); son Matthew (Alison) and their daughter Margo; and daughter Elaine (Pierre) and their children Nicolas and Sophia. The family wishes to thank Tallgrass Creek Senior Living Facility and Ascend Hospice for their support during Carl’s final months.

A celebration of Carl’s life will be held at 1:30 Saturday, October 21 at Bob Allen Theater at Tallgrass Creek, 13800 Metcalf Avenue. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the Johnson County Arboretum or to the Parkinson’s Research Foundation.