Donald Thomas (11-11-22) service 11-17-22

Donald Frank Thomas, 68, of Savannah, passed away on Friday, Nov. 11. He was born on Nov. 16, 1953, in Savannah, the firstborn son of Frank Wilson and Bobbie Beckham Thomas, eventually making him the oldest of three brothers.

Mr. Thomas graduated from the local high school and then made his way to Bethel College in McKenzie, Tennessee, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts. The next milestone in his educational journey was his Master of Divinity from Memphis Theological Seminary, which was followed by a Doctor of Ministry in pastoral care and counseling from Boston University. At that point his family believed they would be forced to retire their career student jokes, but Don continued his formal education with classes at The University of North Texas where he studied mental health counseling. His love of learning was a lifelong passion, one that led him to research his family’s genealogy, as well as the history of the Olive Hill community from which many of his mother’s people came. One of the mainstays of that area was Olive Hill Cumberland Presbyterian Church; it is that church’s life that is chronicled in his book “Cumberlands on the Hill.”

The years following the completion of his formal education found him serving as the pastor for several churches in Tennessee, Texas and Arkansas before ending his ministry in March of 2020 with the Allsboro Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Cherokee, Alabama.

He also filled the role of an individual and family counselor in both public and private practice, and taught for several years at the Theological Seminary and Bethel College, both of which he had graduated from decades before.

Along the way he met his soulmate—the love of his life—Nancy Lee Curtis. In November of 1997, they married in a beautiful ceremony that reflected their devotion to one another and to their God. They were blessed with 22 years of marriage before Nancy’s death on Dec. 9, 2019.

He was an avid reader, something that served him well during his years of isolation brought on by the pandemic. Serious health problems led his doctors to warn against venturing out into the world, and Don did his best to comply without complaining or wallowing in self-pity. Before his wife’s health began to fail, they had traveled around the country together, with their favorite destination being wherever Nancy’s children and grandchildren might be. He truly enjoyed time with his family, and Thanksgiving and Christmas at the Thomas household in Savannah was always filled with chaos and laughter and stories from years gone by, much of which was provided by Don and his brothers, Joe and Tim. His approach to life allowed him to find the humor in almost any moment, and to then bring that moment to everyone else’s attention.

Despite his poor health, his death was unexpected when it happened just five days shy of his 69th birthday.

He is survived by his parents, Frank and Bobbie Thomas of Savannah; his stepchildren, Teresa Condrey and her husband Garry and John Sowell and his wife Maritza, all of Chicago, Illinois; his brothers Joe Thomas and his wife Lisa of Savannah, and Tim Thomas and his wife Amanda of Collierville, Tennessee, his niece Kathryne Guinn and her husband Dennis; and his nephews Joseph Thomas and his wife Natalie, Josh Thomas and his wife Morgan, Jordan Thomas and his wife Teresa and Jake Thomas. He also leaves his great-nieces Cora and Caris Thomas; his great-nephews Wilson, Anderson, Acker, Beckham Thomas and Malcolm Guinn; and his step-grandchildren, Nicole, Garry, Isla, and Nina.

Memorial services were held on Thursday, Nov. 17, in the Shackelford Chapel with Helen Hamilton officiating.