Thomas James Facer I passed away peacefully while surrounded by family on Thursday, November 16th, 2023 at age 73 in Las Vegas, NV. Thomas was born on June 18, 1950 in Sanford, Maine to Charles and Theresa Facer. He was the only boy and middle child among five children. This is what shaped his life. He grew up tough, he was a protector who looked after his sisters, but they also taught him that it was okay to show love and compassion to others.
Thomas met the love of his life, JoAnne, when they were just teenagers. Despite many naysayers who claimed they were too young and would not last, Thomas and JoAnne were married on December 28, 1968 and remained the epitome of a strong, loving marriage until Tom's last breath.
Thomas enlisted in the Navy in 1968 and served 4 tours in Vietnam. Being away from JoAnne all that time was incredibly hard on Thomas, especially after the birth of their first child together, Michelle, in 1970, but his sense of service to his country and love of JoAnne never wavered. Thomas and JoAnne would go on to have four more children together: Thomas II, Jeffery, Stephen and Jennifer. When Thomas' time in the Navy came to an end, he joined the California Air National Guard and went on to serve another incredible 25 years. After 9/11, Thomas was called back to Active Reserve Duty. For the next year and a half, Thomas worked his “day job” at NASA and spent his weekends serving his country. Despite not taking a single day off during that time and missing his family, Thomas never once complained.
In addition to serving in the National Guard, when Thomas left the Navy he returned to work for GTE, where he did what most people cannot; he climbed telephone poles for a living. Thomas worked hard and rose up the corporate ladder but eventually left for an opportunity to work as an engineer at NASA, the job he would become most proud of. What made him so proud of this career path wasn't just that he had a lifelong fascination with space but also because he got to work with his two youngest children, Stephen and Jennifer. When his children and grandchildren left California and moved to Las Vegas, Thomas and JoAnne quickly packed up and moved with them. Thomas worked at the Cannery Casino, where he was in charge of communications until 2017 when he finally retired and enjoyed a life of playing with his grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Thomas inspired a sense of love and giving in his children. Thomas encouraged his children and everyone fortunate to know him to pursue passions, work hard, and enjoy life. Not only did he coach his childrens' Little League teams, but he was the League President as well. He was always there to umpire games, run the snack bar, settle disputes, and do whatever else was needed for anyone who needed him, all after coming home from a long day at work. Even after Little League, Thomas never missed a single game, performance, or achievement of any of his children. Thomas was a life long learner and never stopped learning, earning his Bachelors degree in 2007 at the age of 57.
Thomas is predeceased by his parents Charles and Theresa and sister Patricia. Thomas is survived by his wife JoAnne, his five children, Michelle Smith (Mark), Thomas II (Kristina), Jeffery (Jen), Stephen (Heather), and Jennifer Roeske (Phillip), 7 grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren, and sisters Nancy Poindexter (Betsy), Donna Facer, and Ellen Masse (Donald).
A memorial visitation for Thomas will be held Friday, January 5, 2024 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Palm Eastern Mortuary, 7600 S Eastern Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89123, followed by a memorial service from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.palmeastern.com for the Facer family.
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