Michael Gaulphe "Mike" Thomas

MICHAEL "MIKE" GAULPHE THOMAS

Michael "Mike" Gaulphe Thomas, 72, of Pawleys Island, SC, passed away on January 29, 2024. He was born on March 30, 1951, and was raised in Elizabethtown, NC. His family owned the Thomas Insurance Agency, for which Mike worked briefly when he returned to his hometown after college graduation. As a young man, he enjoyed spending his summers as volunteer fireman at White Lake, and as a disc jockey at the local radio station.

Mike left home to attend Woodberry Forest School in Woodberry Forest, VA, graduating in the class of 1970. He credits Woodberry as the true start of his adulthood, and cherished each visit he made after graduation. He then graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before receiving a Master of Arts and Religion at the Berkley Divinity School at Yale University in New Haven, CT.

Mike's professional career had different paths but always kept the Episcopal Church at focus. Post seminary, he worked for the Diocese of Virginia under The Right Reverend Peter James Lee, whom he had first met at Chapel of the Cross as a student at Chapel Hill. He then became the Vice President of Church Insurance Company based in New York, NY; the firm then transitioned to the Church Pension Group. Before he retired, he was the Director of Planned Giving at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, TN. In retirement, he moved to Pawleys Island to continue his service in the church as a volunteer for different efforts through Holy Cross Faith Memorial Episcopal Church.

A devout Episcopalian and Anglophile, Mike kept in close contact with friends made through seminary and his work insuring churches along the East Coast. He was known for his thoughtful actions, witty sense of humor, strong knowledge of theology, love of history, and Southern manners. Mike didn't need to be the loudest person in the room to gain the most attention; he tended to speak through parables and plant thoughtful seeds for contemplation and reflection. In his youth, he adored being outdoors through hunting and fishing in the woodlands and streams of Bladen County, NC. In his later years, he expressed that awe of nature through sharing pictures of different sunrises on the beach with his friends, usually with unique theological symbolism tied to each event. But, above all that he loved, nothing brought him more joy being "Boss" to his young grandsons.

He is survived by his sister, Angelyn Bridges (Sandy) of Florence, SC; his son, Harper, of Charlottesville, VA; his daughter Angelyn Smith (Peter) of Charleston, SC and their two sons Banks and DuBose. He was preceded in death by his parents, James G. and Jewel C. Thomas, of Elizabethtown, NC.

A memorial service to honor his life will be held on Friday, February 16 at 11:00am at Holy Cross Faith Memorial Episcopal Church in Pawleys Island, SC. In early summer, he will be permanently laid to rest in the St. Andrew's Chapel at Woodberry Forest School in Woodberry Forest, VA. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Holy Cross, or any charity of your choice, in his memory.