Randal L. Thomas

      Randal “Randy” Lee Thomas, 66, of Jacksonville, FL, passed away, Thursday, June 6, 2013 surrounded by his family after a brief battle with leukemia.  Randy was born July 9, 1946 in Gainesville, FL to Alfred Lee and Marie (Powell) Thomas. He graduated from Gainesville High School in 1965.  A year later, Randy joined the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, where he earned the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and Purple Heart. He served as a Special Forces Communications Sergeant for U.S. Army 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne) Operational Detachment 333 at FOB Chi Linh in Vietnam.  He worked for Western Electric and retired from AT&T as a tier 3 technical support manager (Datec) after 28 years.  He was an avid runner, creative handyman, and enjoyed spending time landscaping his home.  Randy was a proud supporter of de oppresso liber (“to free the oppressed”), the Special Forces motto, and was a source of inspiration to his children to continue the Thomas tradition of military service.  Randy is survived by his wife Kathleen of 27 years; sons, Randal Lee (Sarah) Thomas, Jr and Scott Alfred (Christina); daughters Cristina Thomas and Erika (Maxamillian) Kaestner; five grandsons, two granddaughters, his sister Helen Spann and niece Pamela. The Funeral Service will be held at 6:00pm on Tuesday, June 11th in the Chapel of Hardage-Giddens Funeral Home of Mandarin. Interment will follow at a later date in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, VA. Arrangements by Hardage-Giddens Funeral Home of Mandarin, 11801 San Jose Blvd. Jacksonville, FL 32223. www.hgmandarin.com (904) 288-0025.