Mark Robert Thomas, 36-year-old Cleora resident, passed away Saturday, October 26, 2024, at home. He was born November 10, 1987, in Tulsa to John Robert and Helen (Sims) Thomas. He attended Cleora Public Schools first through eighth grade and graduated from Vinita High School with the class of 2006.
While at Cleora, Mark played basketball, ran track, and excelled in math counts, finishing in the top three at the state tournament. At Vinita, he played golf on the Hornets Golf Team and was a member of the Spanish Club, German Club, and DECA.
Mark was also active in the Boy Scouts of America Troop 70 of Vinita and earned both his Eagle Scout and Order of the Arrow. He served many years on the staff of Camp Cherokee of the Boy Scouts as well. Mark worked with his parents at Gambino’s Pizzeria in Ketchum and also detailed boats across Grand Lake as well.
Mark is survived by his parents, John, and Helen Thomas of the home; cat, Fitzgerald; and Uncle Richard and Aunt Marty Thomas of Spring, Texas.
He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Frank and Lois Sims of Tulsa, and Marybelle Thomas of Bartlesville, Oklahoma.
The family will receive friends Thursday, October 31, 2024, from 3:00-5:00 P.M. and Friday, November 1, 2024, from 5:00-7:00 P.M. at Luginbuel Funeral Home of Vinita. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Mark’s memory to St. Jude’s’s Children’s Research Hospital or the Tunnels to Towers Foundation. Online condolences may be made at www.honoringmemoriesvinita.com or on the funeral home Facebook page.
Arrangements are in the care of Luginbuel Funeral Home of Vinita. “Family owned. Locally operated.”
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
332 North Scraper Street, Vinita, OK 74301
Please consider a donation as requested by the family.

What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative?
Read more
We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time.
Read more
Information and advice to help you cope with the death of someone important to you.
Read moreIf you’re in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist.
Read more
Legacy's Linnea Crowther discusses how families talk about causes of death in the obituaries they write.
Read more
You may find these well-written obituary examples helpful as you write about your own family.
Read more
These free blank templates make writing an obituary faster and easier.
Read more
Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love.
Read moreSponsored