John M Thomas

John Moore Thomas was born on Banbury Lane, Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, PA, on December 14 , 1926, to William Burney Thomas and Melinda Moore . He passed away in his home in Houston, Texas, on January 12, 2021. John was one of five siblings.

John (nicknamed “Bud”) was age 16 when he graduated from high school with honors. While in his senior year, he was accepted into ASTRP (Army Specialized Training Reserve Program) with ties to the Air Force. The program was relocated to Penn State, with classes seven days a week. Upon graduation he was immediately deployed to Nuremberg, Germany. There he saw the devastating consequences of WWII destruction, including hungry children, many homeless and parentless, begging for food. It influenced his values and outlook on life. On a later trip into the city, he was amazed at the speed with which the city was being rebuilt. WWII ended while John was in Europe.

After returning from Germany, John worked in the Anaconda mines of Montana before attending college. John earned a Bachelor of Arts at Ohio Wesleyan University and Master of Science at the University of Pittsburgh. His degrees were in Geology.

While working for Cities Service Oil Company, John was sent to Bari, Italy, for a year. John’s next destination was Jackson, Mississippi, and then on to Houston. While at a church club in Houston, John met the love of his life, Helen Wittig. They were married in 1962 and had two children, John, Jr. (also known as Bud), and William (known as Bill). John, Jr. ( Bud) passed away in 2015. John, Sr., truly loved his children and cherished his wife. John was a supportive member of Delta Tau Delta, AAPG and HGS.

Left to miss him (and his sharp intelligence and humor) are his wife, Helen, son Bill, and grandchildren, Carter and Madison. He is also survived by his sister Linda Miller (last of the above-mentioned five siblings) of Ligonier, PA, and Jim Hamilton of Sewickley, PA (husband of deceased Charlotte, youngest of the five siblings), Bill Thomas of Denver, Melinda Schmidt of Florida, Bill Schmidt of Chicago, and other cousins, nieces and nephews in Pittsburgh, New York, and in the Carolinas and England. He also enjoyed annual Wittig reunions in Texas.

Inurnment will be with a small gathering at Memorial Oaks Funeral Home in February. Due to the Corona Virus pandemic, the memorial service has been postponed for a yet-to-be determined date in the future. Any donations may be made to the charity of your choice.