John David Thomas II

John’s deep love of family and friends brought us glee and laughter. He sang to the Lord with joy. His written legacy of family letters, quips and quotes, and comical photos shows the self-deprecating, young at heart attitude that allowed him to conquer polio, childhood family problems, and tragic loss of daughter Deborah.

John’s parents John Wycoff and Katherine (Prissy) Thomas, grandparents John David Thomas I and first wife Pearle Wycoff Thomas, and grandparents Elmer E. Olinger and Sue Skinner Olinger also pre-deceased him. Grandmother Ruth, the elder JDT’s second wife has also passed.

John learned about cards as a toddler. “Dat’s a Dack, dat’s a Doker.” He became a Life Master at Duplicate Bridge as an adult. At age 9 John edited his grade school’s “Victory News,” Prissy received a White House letter saying FDR was “pleased indeed” to know that John had gained in health enough to return to (high) school. Graduating from Classen High School, he won awards for Scholarship and in Debate and Public Speaking. He tried out acting with the Mummers. He sang in choir at Westminster Presbyterian Church in OKC.

At the University of Oklahoma, John did not enroll in English or Drama or Business, but in Mathematics. “The lines were shorter,” he quipped. He joined Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. He studied Math, Physics, garnering A’s and honorary awards on his journey: Phi Beta Kappa, Delta Phi Alpha (a German Honorary Society), other honorary organizations, and was one of two state representatives for a Rhodes Scholarship.

To fund his studies he worked summers and holidays, first at Sperry Gyroscope, then at Los Alamos Scientific Laboratories in Los Alamos, New Mexico. In this Cold War Era John served his country by working in the testing division. 4-F because of post polio surgery, he dutifully climbed 500 foot towers in Nevada, patting the (Fission) Atom Bomb and telling it to be a “good little bomb and don’t go off until I tell you to.” He also served as Officer Grade Civilian aboard the Boxer in the high altitude (Fusion) Hydrogen Bomb tests off Johnston Island in the Pacific. Letters sent to wife Lana expressed his deep love and longing for home and his young family. “I cannot imagine how tall little Davey is by now.”

After receiving his PhD, John taught 2 years as a doctoral instructor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and 25 years at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico. With peers from NMSU he taught summer programs at Holloman Air Force Base.

Daughter Katherine, born in OKC, and daughters Deborah and Patricia, born in Las Cruces, completed John’s family.The family mourned together when Debi died, and were blessed when Tricia crawled up into their laps to cuddle.

John instilled in his children a love of learning, and took pride in their successes. He taught Tricia to play Duplicate Bridge. She became the youngest female Life Master. Katherine received her PhD in English / Technical & Scientific Communication and was nationally recognized for her work in gender and the history of technical communication. John sponsored COMAP international competitions in Mathematical Modeling at NMSU. Son David’s team tied for first place.

They all spent time in the family Colorado cabin, building a new Privy, re-roofing the cabin, and cleaning up the packrat’s nest, lined with carefully chewed rat poison boxes and playing cards.

John, Tricia and Lana traveled to Dundee, Scotland when John was on Sabbatical leave. sending beautiful letters home to David and Katherine. John and Lana celebrated their 50th Anniversary with a grand party at First Pres and their most recent (64th) at the Palisades at Broadmoor Park. Wife and children survive, as well as two brothers, many nieces and nephews and their children, cousins (and step cousins?) and their families.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to First Presbyterian Church of Colorado Springs (https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://my.firstprescos.org/page/186__;!!M2D_dUfSiN4E!fcAzY1686NEYwuKpPZvYEtXG8V6fna2U1c34ygxZlD61JZVbDXRu62l8Ypr0KWIlOHxyyoi6l8gACA$ [my[.]firstprescos[.]org])

Or to the Deborah Louise Thomas Memorial Award at New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico (https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://bit.ly/DebiFund__;!!M2D_dUfSiN4E!fcAzY1686NEYwuKpPZvYEtXG8V6fna2U1c34ygxZlD61JZVbDXRu62l8Ypr0KWIlOHxyyoiSdizYOw$ [bit[.]ly]).

Please join us in celebration over the loss of an unforgettable man, John Thomas. We know that he would want us not to dwell on the sad, but to remember the good. It is with this in mind that we plan to hold this special event on September 16th, 2021 at 10:30 AM, which will take place at First Presbyterian Church of Colorado Springs (see below). To make sure there is enough room for us all, please RSVP by replying to this email. A light lunch will be provided afterwards.

The event will also be livestreamed at: http://www.firstprescos.org/memorial-livestream/.

If you would like to share a photo, video, or just some memories or kind words, you may do so at this website: https://bit.ly/JohnThomasEverlasting.