Stephen Clark Thomas

1945 - 2023

Stephen Clark Thomas

Sept. 25, 1945 - Oct. 10, 2023

BLOOMINGTON - Stephen Clark Thomas, 78, of Bloomington, Formerly of Ocean Springs, MS, passed away at 11:09 a.m. on Tuesday, October 10, 2023, at his home.

His visitation will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, October 16, 2023, at Carmody-Flynn Funeral Home, following, his funeral will be held at 12:00 noon. Interment will immediately follow services at East Lawn Memorial Gardens, Bloomington.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Carl S. Martin American Legion Post 635, Normal.

To express condolences online, please visit www.carmodyflynn.com.

He was born September 25, 1945, in Bloomington, son of Orion and Anna Kober Thomas. He married Joyce Ann Clark on April 4, 1970, in Carlock. She preceded him in death on June 17, 2018. He was also preceded by two sisters, Roseanne Moore and Jean Cleary.

Surviving are two daughters: Stephanie Thomas, Bloomington, and Angie Thomas (Brian Kiley), Bloomington; five grandchildren: Carrissa, Chasyn, Jack, Clare, and Finnegan; and two great-grandchildren: Ari and Zaiden.

Stephen graduated from St. Mary's grade school then Bloomington High School. He was a United States Vietnam Navy veteran serving from 1965-1969. He bravely served as a Riverine Assault Force serviceman.

Stephen worked as an electrician with IBEW #197 in Bloomington, where he worked for D&H Anderson Electric for over 40 years. A former co-worker stated no one could bring a building out of the ground like he could. He was instrumental in building the Country Companies building on GE, Mitsubishi, which is now Rivian, Normal Community West and then Normal Community High Schools, where his grandchildren attended. He also built his family's Carlock home as well as rebuilding their retirement home in Ocean Springs after hurricane Katrina. He could tinker with and fix anything.

He enjoyed golfing and traveling with his wife and friends. For the last 15 years, he enjoyed his men's golf league at Shell Landing, where he made additional friends and assisted other veterans. He was an avid bowler, where he was a former state champion. Steve also liked tending to his garden with an incredible green thumb. He was a car enthusiast, owning several that he was proud of including a 1969 Dodge Charger, 2019 Corvette, and his last GMC Sierra Denali Ultimate. He enjoyed playing cards with friends and boating with his family and friends.

Steve will be fondly remembered for his quick-witted sarcasm and his humor. He was always a phone call away and would help with anything you needed. He always knew the answer. He will be greatly missed by all who enjoyed chatting with him for hours. His memory was impeccable, so his stories were endless. His humor served us all well.