Rick Thomas Obituary
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Rick Thomas, age 76, died September 13, 2025, in Newport Beach, California at Hoag Hospital from a blood staph infection.
After graduating from Manhattan High School in 1967, he continued his education at Kansas State University with degrees in Mathematics and Milling Science and Management in 1971 and 1974. He worked at Archer Daniels Midland Milling Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Los Angeles, California and Cereal Food Processors in Los Angeles and Ogden, Utah. Rick received in 1998 the Milling Operative of the Year by Milling & Baking News at the International Association of Operative Millers Convention.
Rick married Lari Dellen on August 17, 1974, in White Bear Lake, Minnesota and they recently celebrated their 51st wedding anniversary. They were never blessed with children but through their years of marriage their four-legged children loved them dearly.
After retiring, Rick started cycling. He rode BAK (Biking Across Kansas) three times. Four days, sometime five, he rode at least 30 to 50 miles down Pacific Coast Highway. His other hobby and one he was most proud of, he and a good friend restored a 1957 TR3 Triumph. Every Sunday, Rick took his TR3 for "exercise" on PCH. He loved traveling through the western states, being outdoors, camping, hiking, and riding ATVs.
Rick was preceded in death by his parents, Wilton and Nada Jo Marshall Thomas and in-laws Marie and Merlin Dellen.
A celebration of life gathering will be held on Saturday, October 18, 2025, from 1 to 3 p.m. at RC McGraw's Bar & Grill in the Blue Hill's Room, in Manhattan. To honor Rick please wear shorts and a Hawaiian shirt.
Memorial contributions may be made to: Kansas State University Milling Science & Management – Fund #O94390 to benefit students of milling science. Donations may be mailed to the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home, 1616 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, Kansas 66502.
Online condolences may be left for the family through the funeral home website at www.ymlfuneralhome.com
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Rick, please visit our floral store.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
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