John Thomas

1939 - 2023

John Thomas
October 7, 1939 - November 17, 2023
John Robert Thomas, 84, passed away Friday at home in Kentfield, California, surrounded by family. John is survived by his wife of 36 years, Joyce Winter Thomas, his son Greg Thomas (Valerie), daughter Darcy Thomas Bell (David), grandchildren Owen and Eleanor Bell, children by marriage Scott Zimmerman, Ricka Baker (Jeff), Michelle Wayland (William), grandchildren Zach (Sarah) and Monty (Julia) Zimmerman, Avery and Finn Wayland, Amelia and Sofia Silverman, great granddaughter Remi Zimmerman, his brothers Richard (Nancy) and Stephen, sister Cynthia Yates (Tom), and nieces and nephews, all who had a special place for John in their hearts, as he did for each of them.
John began his 60-year career in asset management at Morgan Guaranty Trust Bank (ultimately JP Morgan) in New York. During his 30-year tenure at Morgan, John was a mentor to many, shaping careers, supporting diversity, and advocating for young members of the firm. He led by example and was a culture builder. Always a gracious collaborator, John regularly took the time to leave handwritten notes to express his appreciation to team members.
John spent five years as President of JP Morgan Trust Bank, Japan. Living in Tokyo changed the course of his life, personally and professionally. John and Joyce returned to the United States with a deep love of Japanese culture as they made their new home in Marin County, California.
After retiring from Morgan, John co-founded a hedge fund specializing in small cap Japanese companies and served as an independent consultant to U.S. and Japanese investment firms and multiple state teachers' pension funds. John spent the past 13 years as Vice Chairman for Martingale Asset Management, responsible for developing relationships with clients in Asia and the United States.
In 1997, John joined the Japan Society of Northern California (JSNC) Board and during his 26-year tenure shared his leadership, wisdom, humor, and friendship with all who worked with him. John played a key role in creating the JSNC's two signature programs, the Innovation Awards and the Healthcare Connection Program.
John was born in Cleveland on October 7, 1939, to William K. Thomas, a trial attorney, county judge and then federal judge for the Northern District of Ohio, and Dorothy Good Thomas, a social worker in Cleveland's Little Italy neighborhood before raising her family of four children, of which John was the eldest, in the Cleveland suburb of Chagrin Falls.
A graduate of Chagrin Falls High School, John is one of only two students inducted into both the athletic and academic halls of fame. John majored in economics at Ohio Wesleyan University, where he lettered as a running back, pass receiver, and place kicker for the Battling Bishops. While at OWU, John developed lifelong friendships with his Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity brothers. Following OWU, John earned an M.B.A. in Finance, with distinction, from the Wharton School in 1963. John later served for nine years on the OWU Board of Trustees and was a member of the University's endowment investment committee for several decades up to the time of his death.
John learned to ski as an adult on an impromptu trip to the Alps. Like everything else he took on, John invested the time needed to master the sport and had an uncanny capability to maximize every minute on the slopes. John looked forward to spending two weeks each winter skiing in Alta, Utah with Joyce and their children and relished watching his grandkids learn to ski, as he had with his own kids.
John showed his family unconditional love, always modeled integrity and hard work, and lived with curiosity and humility. He was the epitome of "do unto others"(as long as the others weren't blocking his view at an Ohio State game).
While John was a man of many accomplishments, his true legacy is the impact he had on family, friends and colleagues-this is a legacy we will carry forward on his behalf. Sayonara to a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend. You will be missed, John-San. You were a true gentleman.
The family has requested donations in John's name to the ACLU or Wild Animal Sanctuary. A Celebration of Life will occur at a later date.