John William Thomas Jr.

1943 - 2020

Lubbock- John William Thomas Jr. passed away on December 31, 2019. The family will host a time of fellowship and remembrance from 2 to 4 pm on Sunday, January 5, 2020, at Lake Ridge Chapel and Memorial Designers. We will celebrate his life of 76 years at 2 pm on Monday, January 6, 2020, at Lake Ridge Chapel. Friends are invited to share memories and expressions of sympathy for the family to cherish and view his life tribute at www.memorialdesigners.net.

John William Thomas Jr. was born on June 7, 1943, to John and Hazelle Thomas in Coffeyville, KS. His family moved to Ralls, TX in 1945. He graduated from Ralls High School in May 1961. John married his high school sweetheart and the love of his life, Mary Nell Poteet on August 29, 1963. He attended Texas Tech University. After his graduation in 1965, John and Mary Nell tried their hand at farming north of Ralls the next few years and enjoyed their time with family and friends. In 1969 they moved to Baton Rouge, LA where he attended LSU, received his master's degree in Entomology in 1972, and did course work toward a doctoral degree. During this time period John and Dr. Grady Coburn established Pest Management Enterprises, Inc. in Baton Rouge, serving as Agricultural Consultants focusing on cotton, sugar cane and soybeans. In 1975 the ever-growing family moved to Cheneyville, LA. The Thomas family journeyed back to Ralls, TX in 1981. Upon their return, John did independent consulting, worked at Texas Triumph Seed Co., and was a Field Technician for Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Project. He finished his career at Texas Department of Agriculture Seed Lab in Lubbock-he truly enjoyed the precision and intricacies of seed testing and caring for the plants. He retired from TDA Seed Lab in 2011.

Survivors include his wife, Mary Nell Thomas; children, John Derek Thomas and wife Maurine of Tampa, FL, Jeremy Dell Thomas and wife Staci of Lubbock; daughter, Marci Thomas and husband Jimmy Rogers of Lubbock; grandchildren, Landrie Thomas, Laynie Thomas, Jason Rogers, Donovan Thomas, Carter Thomas, Bennett Thomas, Aurora Thomas; and brother, Jean Charles Thomas of Key West, FL.; along with numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; son, Jason Wilson Thomas; sister, Anne Christian; and brothers-in-law, Tom Christian and John DeJong.

The family of John William Thomas Jr. has designated the Epilepsy Foundation of Texas, 2401 Fountain View Drive, Suite 900, Houston, TX 77057 or Donation Processing, The Michael J. Fox Foundation, PO Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741-5014, for memorial contributions donated in his memory.