John Robert Thomas was born on July 22, 1945, to James William (Tommy) Thomas and Mary Jane Quinn Thomas at the old General Hospital in Muskogee, Oklahoma. He grew up on the Westside and was a graduate of Pershing Elementary and West Junior High.
John picked up a snare drum in grade school and never put it or any other percussion instrument down. In junior high, so that he might buy a Cushman motor scooter, he threw a Muskogee Phoenix paper route of one hundred fifty customers. John moved with his family to Durant, Oklahoma, in 1960 when he was 15. He graduated from Durant High School in 1963 and set off for the University of Oklahoma.
John had formulated two goals for his life by this time. He wanted to play and march with the Pride of Oklahoma, and he wanted to become a military officer so that, if necessary, he could lead soldiers in a desperate battle. John excelled as a percussionist at OU, becoming an integral part of a section that popularized the rhythm-and-chant introduction to Boomer Sooner now known as Drums-A-Go-Go.
Upon completing his college education, John enlisted in the Army in mid-1967. Following Basic and AIT training, John attended Officers' Candidate School (Artillery) at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. He served at Fort Ord. California and then was posted to Vietnam. There, he commanded a Firebase, secured and defended several Landing Zones, and led numerous combat patrols. According to one soldier in his command, he joined in every task he ordered done, and always had the safety of his men as his primary objective. John never wanted (to his last days) a fuss made. Nevertheless, the Army awarded the Bronze Star and many other decorations.
After his military service, John began his career as a Special Agent with the Treasury Department. The men and women of IRS Criminal Investigation Division, Tulsa, became first his colleagues and then nothing less than his brothers and sisters. He served proudly with them for many years as the group took down and put away many dangerous people, not alt of whom were "merely" tax cheats.
John died at his home in south Tulsa on September 28, 2021, at about 12:30 pm. He was 76 years old.
John was preceded in death by his parents, his older brother James William, Jr. (who was born and died on June 10, 1944) and his cherished little sister Patti Gail Thomas Hill. He is survived by: his beloved niece, Abby Elizabeth Hill and her fiancé, Scott Shepherd, of Springdale, Arkansas; his nephews John Matthew Thomas and his wife Penny of Owasso, Oklahoma; Jeremy David Thomas and his wife Alica of Culver City, California; Andrew Michael Thomas of Tulsa; Daniel Lee Thomas of Boley, Oklahoma, Brady Thomas Hill of Muskogee, Oklahoma; his grandniece Madeline Sue Thomas of Owasso, Oklahoma and his grandnephew 'AD3 Brandon Matthew Thomas, United States Navy; his little brother Terry Michael Thomas and his wife Lisa Holt Thomas of Sand Springs, Oklahoma. John is also survived by his former wife and partner of decades Janet Kilpatrick Thomas. Other survivors include cousins, nieces, nephews and friends far too numerous to count.
John's legendary sense of humor and concern for others was, quite frankly, unmatched. He was also a humble and self-deprecating man. This led to a tendency to underestimate the massive positive effect he had on those with whom he came in contact. He was the pride of his mother and father, and the standards he set for achievement and excellence in all that he did could only be aspired to by his younger siblings and many of his friends.
John recently quoted an old Eastern saying: "Duty is heavier than a mountain, while death is lighter than a feather." His last writing included these words: "I have been a soldier, a federal agent, and a deputy US Marshall-I have done my duty."
John's family and close friends will be notified shortly of a graveside gathering.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the following charities in honor of John: ASPCA, StreetCats, and Meals on Wheels. The links can be found below: https://secure.aspca.org/donate/join?ms=wb_hom_position2-betheone-v2-20211001&initialms=wb_hom_position2-betheone-v2-20211001&pcode=WEB2HOM&lpcode=WEB1HOM http://www.streetcatstulsa.org/you-can-help https://www.mealsonwheelstulsa.org/donate
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