Windsor Pipes Thomas Jr.

Windsor Pipes Thomas Jr.

The Funeral Service for Windsor Pipes Thomas, Jr. will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, June 8, 2015 at St. James Episcopal Church with The Reverend Barb Schmitz officiating. Interment will follow at Greenwood Memorial Park under the direction of John Kramer & Son Funeral Home.

Visitation will be held from 6:15 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 7, 2015 in St. James Episcopal Church Parish Hall and resume Monday, June 8, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. until time of service.

Windsor Pipes Thomas, Jr., 81, of Alexandria, passed away on Wednesday, June 3, 2015 at CHRISTUS ST. Frances Cabrini Hospital.

Windsor was born July 8, 1933 in Thibodeaux, LA to Windsor Pipes Thomas and Elia Ramelle Ellis Thomas. The Thomas Family returned to Alexandria in 1934.

Windsor attended West End Grammar, Bush Avenue Grammar (now L.S. Rugg Elementary) and Bolton High School. At Bolton, Windsor was in the marching, concert, Jazz Band, Key Club, National Honor Society and Pelican Boys State. He then went on to attend the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee and graduated from LSU in 1955 with a BA in Agricultural Economics and a minor in animal nutrition. He was a part of several fraternities including Kappa Alpha Order, Alpha Zeta honorary agricultural fraternity, was named the Danforth Fellow as Outstanding Junior in the College of Agriculture representing LSU to the Land Grant College Seminar in St. Louis, MO and was the student representative to the American Youth Foundation on Lake Michigan.

After college, Windsor served for two years active duty in the U.S. Army with the 24th Infantry Division in Korea. Windsor entered the Army as a private and separated as a Sergeant E-5. While in Alexandria, Windsor served 4 years with the 4009th Army Reserve Unit.

Windsor resumed his animal nutrition studies with the Nutritional Research Associates of East St. Louis, Illinois and was employed by the State of Louisiana for 3 years as the first Livestock and Poultry Nutritionist with duties to improve the health of state operated farm animals. Windsor wrote a research paper on the effects of trace minerals on brucellosis in dairy cattle which he presented to the Southern Feed Dealers convention and was published in the Eastern Feed Merchant.

Windsor and his family moved to New Roads were they opened Thomas Farm Service and Supply. Later, Windsor merged with Farrar Farms, Inc., in Laurel Hill, LA and managed their feed mill and dehy coastal Bermuda pellet mill. Windsor also oversaw the feed lot and brood cow nutrition.

In 1962, Windsor began his 34 year with Guaranty Bank and Trust Co in New Roads as their Agricultural Representative in commercial banking. He served farm communities of Pointe Coupee and DeSoto parishes before returning to Alexandria. In 1973, Windsor received his degree from School of Banking of the South. For a brief time, he worked for Alexandria Production Credit Association. His joy in banking was in service to the agricultural community and in training new employees.

Before retiring in 1998, he was a licensed broker of life and health insurance and mutual funds.

Windsor was a part of many organizations. He joined the New Roads Club in 1960 and maintained membership for over 50 years. He was past president of the Lottie-Livonia Lions Club, North DeSoto Lions Club and the Alexandria Downtown Lions Club. He was a charter member and officer of the Alexandria Heart City Pacesetters Lions Club. Windsor was a past District Governor of District 8-1. For 20 years, he was active in Lions Sight Conservation and the Louisiana Lions Eye Foundation where he was a past president and a life member of the Louisiana Lions Children's Camp in Anacoco.

Windsor was a volunteer income tax preparer for the AARP/TCE Pineville office and employed by H & R Block.

Windsor, a lifelong Episcopalian served his church as Diocesan Convention Chairman, as Chairman of the St. James 150th Anniversary celebration, Treasurer, Vestryman, Acolyte Master and usher. He also maintained attendance and a great respect and affiliation with Grace Presbyterian Church.

Windsor is preceded in death by his parents and sister, Mary Love Thomas Hetherwick Marino.

Survivors include loving confidante, Mildred "T" Gloede; sons, Windsor Pipes Thomas, III, and wife, Beth, of Painted Post, New York, Stephen Hodges Thomas, MD, MPH, and wife, Catherine, of Doha, Qatar; daughter, Meade Love Thomas of Stamford Connecticut; grandchildren, Aaron Thomas, Stephen Thomas, Lindsey Penn, Gregory Penn, Sarah Alice Thomas and Caroline Thomas; niece, Louise Hetherwick Hunter; nephews, Walter Hetherwick, John Dent Hetherwick and Windsor Thomas Hetherwick.

Windsor loved the Lord, his family, friends, his Southern heritage and dedicated his life to serving others.

Memorials in lieu of flowers to St. James Episcopal Church, 1620 Murray Street, Alexandria, La., 71301 or Louisiana Lions Eye Foundation, 2020 Gravier Street, Suite B, New Orleans, La., 70112 or to a Christian charity of donor's choice.

To extend online notes of condolences to the Thomas Family, please visit www.kramerfunerals.com.