Khalil "Sam" Thomas

"God bless this crazy family," is the phrase Sam would say after prayer before a big family meal, a sentiment that perfectly captured the joy, faith and deep love that defined his life. Khalil J. "Sam" Thomas, 88, of Peoria passed away at 5:30 p.m., Sunday, January 25, 2026, at his residence, surrounded by his family.

Born on January 3, 1938, in Aitou, Lebanon, to Joseph and Betty (Halhoul) Thomas, he immigrated to America at the age of nine, arriving through Ellis Island in 1947. Having previously spoken only Arabic, he learned English while attending St. Patrick's Catholic School in Peoria. After graduating from Spalding Institute in 1958, he entered the United States Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton in San Diego, California in June of that year and served six years before being honorably discharged. On April 30, 1960, he married the love of his life, Frances Joseph, at St. Mark's Catholic Church in Peoria, and together they shared 65 wonderful years of marriage. She survives.

Sam was preceded in death by his parents, and two sisters, Mary Lou and Sadie.

Sam and Fran raised a beautiful family of four daughters and three sons: Angie (Rick) Shaw of Pekin, Chris (Reeno) Thomas of Bartonville, Danny (Debbie) Thomas of Hoffman Estates, Monica (Jeff) Robinson of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Keith (Tina) Thomas of Washington, Tina (Marlon) Dechausay of Bartlett, Tennessee and Katie (Paul) Manning of Peoria. They cherished their 23 grandchildren: Alysa, Adam, Joe, Ryan, Christen, Sam, Lauren, Danny, Drew, Elizabeth, Emily, Nick, Samantha, Jeremiah, Atlas, Juliet, Anthony, Marlon, Braylon, Jake, Josh, Matt and MaryKate and were blessed with 13 great grandchildren: Matthew, Mary, Patrick, Charlotte, Hazel, Noah, Joseph, Charlie, Catherine, Khali, Quinn, Ellie and Thomas and Cooper.

The oldest of five children, Sam is survived by his sister, Joann McFarlin of Peoria, and his brother, John of Cibola, Texas. He was also blessed with wonderful brothers- and sisters-in-law and several loving nieces and nephews.

Sam had a deep faith in God and was a lifelong member of St. Mark's Catholic Church, where he proudly walked three of his daughters down the aisle. Never one to shy away from hard work, he often held multiple jobs at a time to support his large family before eventually becoming a business owner. Over the years, with the help of his wife, Fran, Sam successfully operated Oscar Alwan's Market and Phone-A-Feast in Peoria-where many of their children worked-as well as Sam's Market in Kewanee. Sam was respected for his work ethic, honesty and compassion for others and patrons loved his friendliness and humor. Even later in life, Sam continued to work, including stints at Cottingham Property Management Company and the Itoo Hall.

Sam's fierce love, loyalty and devotion to his wife and family was a powerful example that continues to guide those he loved and set the standard for generations to come. He told his bride "I love you" every day and made sure she always knew how cherished she was.

Sam was a hero to many, but to his children, he was larger than life and the strongest man they ever knew. Whether they called him Grandpa, Gidu, or Pop, Sam was deeply adored by his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. From teaching them to play blackjack to tickling their toes and marking their height on a backyard tree trunk, he filled their lives with fun and laughter and always made sure they knew just how much he loved them.

Second only to his devotion to family was Sam's love for the Marine Corps. In addition to April Love, his favorite song with Fran, the Marine Corps Hymn, The Halls of Montezuma, held a special place in his heart and was often sung as a lullaby to his children when they were babies.

Sam's legacy will live on in the faith he practiced, the love he gave freely and the family he blessed every day-his "crazy family."

We would like to extend a special thank you to Sam's caregivers: Andy, Cathy, Chandra, Keke and Nicole. We also thank the hospice transition nurses, especially Tom.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, January 29, 2026 at St. Mark Catholic Church 1113 W Bradley Ave, Peoria, IL at 4:00pm until the recitation of the rosary at 7:00pm. A mass of Christian burial will be held at St. Mark Catholic Church on Friday, January 30th at 10:30 with a visitation one hour ahead. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Breakthrough Type 1 Diabetes (Breakthrough Type 1 Diabetes (Formerly JDRF)), St. Mark Catholic School or The Itoo Society.

Friends and family are encouraged to log on to www.wrightandsalmon.com Just on the online guest book, to submit photos, and to share Sam's memorial page via social media.