Dr. George H. Thomas

Dr. George H. Thomas, 92, passed away on July 18, 2020, at his home in Alliance, Ohio.  A memorial service to remember and honor his life will be held at the Cassidy-Turkle Funeral Home at a future date due to the current need for social distancing.

George was born in Birmingham, Alabama on April 4, 1928, and began the first phase of his life as the only son of a poor carpenter.  He was a talented musician and attended Curtis music school where he studied oboe under Marcel Tabuteau.  Though he left his formal study of music behind, he continued to enjoy and perform on the oboe, the flute, and the harmonica.  He shared his love of music and his talent throughout his life until his deafness made it impossible to continue.

After deciding not to pursue a professional career in music, he attend seminary and became an ordained Methodist minister.  He then received his PhD in Philosophy at Vanderbilt University.  He came to Alliance in 1963 to teach at Mount Union where he taught philosophy and theology for 30 years until his retirement in 1993. He was a renowned Berkeley scholar and he spent a year in Ireland on sabbatical to study his work.  His interests in different philosophers and the courses he developed and taught changed over the years but his favorite was always a course entitled, “Man’s Search for Meaning.”  It was a reflection of who he was and what he valued throughout his life, the importance of finding meaning in life and of having strong guiding principles to live by.

His hobbies and interests were many, including being an expert marksman, a kite builder and flier, an auto mechanic, a linguist, a world traveler, a musician, and an animal lover, especially of his three cats.  After his retirement from Mount Union, he could most often be found at Arby’s, where he became a central figure in the “turtle clan,” a group of other retired professors, family and friends who would gather to solve the world’s problems and share their lives.  Many people know him as a friendly face at Arby’s where he would sit for hours every day until his health made it difficult and eventually impossible.

George has a quote by George Sand posted on his refrigerator which says, “There is only one happiness in life—to love and be loved.”  George was a loving man who was loved by many and who will be greatly missed.

Arrangements are entrusted to Cassaday-Turkle-Christian Funeral Home 75 South Union Ave Alliance, Ohio 44601. Friends may register online at www.ctcfuneral.com