John Thomas, 71, passed away suddenly on June 5, 2024, in Tacoma, Washington. John was born and raised in Luverne, Minnesota, to parents Jimmy and Harriet Thomas. He graduated from Luverne High School in 1971, and later from the University of Minnesota with a degree in marketing. After a career in insurance and marketing, he spent the past eight years as a substitute teacher in Tacoma Public Schools. He and his wife Kate moved from their longtime home in Minnesota in 2014 to be closer to his daughter and her family in Tacoma, and to be the best papa he could to his three grandkids. He enjoyed playing guitar, golfing with his son Jameson, and spending time with his grandkids. We’ll miss his absurd sense of humor, his endless anecdotes and his encyclopedic knowledge of music trivia.
He was proceeded in death by his parents and his sister Meri. He is survived by his wife Kate (Petersen), children Jessie Clark (Spencer) and Jameson, siblings Kathy, Tom, Rochelle, and Dan, and his three beloved grandchildren Logan, Silas and Savion.
There was a celebration of life gathering on Thursday, June 13,
at Dune Peninsula Park in Tacoma. Donations can be made to the Animal Humane Society.