Thursday, April 25, 2024
Randy Thomas, age 68, of Gatesville, passed away on Sunday, May 28, 2023.
Memorial services were held at 4 p.m. Friday, June 2, 2023, at Scott’s Funeral Home Chapel, with Dr. David Crosby officiating. Visitation with the family will be one hour prior to services at the funeral home.
Randy Owen Thomas was born on December 28, 1954, to the late Dalton and Mary Ann Slaughter Thomas in Kennett, Missouri. He grew up and attended school in Kennett, graduating from Kennett High School in 1972. He then attended college at Southeast Missouri State University, located in Cape Girardeau, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in general studies. After graduation, he worked as a surveyor for the City of Austin, and later met his wife, Elizabeth Westmoreland, while attending classes at Austin Community College. Randy and Elizabeth married in September 1983. They moved to Georgia in 1988 and Randy then began his career with the National Park Service. Between 1988 and 1992, he worked as a seasonal park ranger for Fort Pulaski National Monument, located in Savannah, Georgia, Fort Frederica National Monument, located in St. Simons Island, Georgia, Fort Sumter National Monument, located in Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, and Chiricahua National Monument, located in Wilcox, Arizona. He and Elizabeth moved to Gatesville in 1991. During that time, Randy worked as a surveyor for both Turley Engineering and Surveying, and H and B Contractors, before going to work at Gatesville Ace Hardware. In 2008, Randy’s love for the outdoors took him back to the National Park Service, where he again served as a park ranger for both Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, located in Alaska, as well as the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, located in Stonewall, Texas. Randy ultimately retired in 2017.
Randy’s passion was to show the world the wonders of nature and the history of our nation. He was a citizen of the world and was often complimented for his ability to speak to people of all nationalities, as he was well-spoken and easily understood. He had that southern gentleman charm, a strong work ethic, and his relaxed, cheerful demeanor always put people at ease. He was well-loved by family and friends and was often described as a man with a dry sense of humor, but a person willing to help anyone in need. His hobbies included rock hunting, collecting arrowheads, reading, and working with model airplanes. However, more than anything, Randy was extremely proud of his son, Chief Roy Thomas, and his daughter Savannah Halteman, and their careers in the United States Coast Guard.
Randy was preceded in death by his parents, and brother, David Thomas.
He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Thomas of Gatesville; daughter, Savannah Halteman and husband, Shawn of Haines, Alaska; son, Roy Dalton Thomas and wife, Brooke of Middletown, Rhode Island; sister, Lisa Muse and Husband, Bill of Marmaduke, Arkansas; brothers, Tim Thomas and wife, Kathy of Gideon, Missouri, Bill Thomas of Yorktown, Virginia, and Tommy Emerson of Memphis, Tennessee; and grandsons, Hunter Halteman, Jack Thomas, and Griffin Thomas.
Randy’s family extends their deepest gratitude and gives special thanks to the staff at Rehab Living at the Meadows, and to Baylor Scott and White Hospice, for the attentive and affectionate care that they provided to Randy.
