Carlton Bly Thomas

Carlton Bly Thomas, beloved husband, father, grandfather, coach and friend, finished the course of his earthly life and went home on July 16, 2019. Born on February 27, 1934, in Osawatomie, Kan., to Florence Durretta Hampton Thomas and Allen Bly Thomas, Carlton moved to El Paso as a toddler. He met the love of his life, Callie Willene Johnson, in Sunday School when they were ten. They married on November 16, 1956, and happily loved and supported each other for 63 years. Carlton proudly served in the U. S. Marine Corps, stationed in Okinawa. A graduate of Austin High School and a former student at Texas Western College (UTEP), Carlton worked as a draftsman at El Paso Natural Gas Company for more than 45 years. He served as a deacon at Immanuel Baptist Church and First Baptist Church, played on and coached the men’s softball team at Immanuel, taught Sunday School, and volunteered for Drive-A-Meal. Known for his sense of humor and a tendency to tease, Carlton could always be relied on for a snappy comeback. He enjoyed fishing for rainbow trout in Alpine, Ariz. Carlton is survived by his wife, Callie Willene Thomas; daughter, Carri Lynn George, of Fayetteville, Ark; son and daughter-in-law, Howard Bly Thomas and Teddi Joyce, of Gettysburg, Pa; granddaughter, Caitlin Blythe George, of El Paso, Texas; and grandson, Jeffrey Thomas George, of Hot Springs, Ark. His family and friends will celebrate a life well-lived and the many lives he influenced on Monday, July 22, at 11 am at First Baptist Church. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to The Foundation of First Baptist Church. “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”