Willard Maceo Thomas III III

Willard Maceo Thomas III, age 74 of Chino Hills, California, passed away August 4, 2025 in his home from a long battle with Dementia.

He was born in Nashville, Tennessee on August 21, 1950 to Willard Maceo Thomas, Jr. and Willie Mary Bell. He married Saundra Roberta Ragsdale on December 5, 1981 in Alexandra, Virginia.

Maceo attended Gordon Memorial United Methodist Church, graduated from Pearl High School in the Davidson County School System and continued his education at Tennessee State University. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1976. In addition to several stateside assignments, Maceo also served in Germany and Panama. After 20 years of distinguished service, he retired from the Army in 1996. In 1998, he served as a Police Officer at Naval Warfare Station in Corona, California. In 2005, he joined the Veterans Administration Police as an officer at the Department of Veterans Administration on in Los Angeles, California and also served as a Police Officer at the Department of Veterans Administration on in Loma Linda, California. He retired in 2016.

Maceo was always kind to others and loved to pick up a conversation and joke with almost anyone. He loved to keep his cars clean, work in his yard gardening, and listening to jazz.

He is preceded in death by his parents Willard Maceo Thomas, Jr. and Willie Mary Bell and sister, Phyllis Thomas Culver.

He is survived by his wife of 43 years, Saundra; sons Daryle and Victor, daughter Christina; sister Willie Ben Dell Thomas Cooper (Freeman) of Nashville, Tennessee, brother Willard Thomas Bailey of Jacksonville, Florida; 8 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren and a host of nieces and nephews.