Paul Edward Thomas

The last twinkle left his eye on July 6, 2024 at Danbury Tallmadge Senior Living. Paul Edward Thomas was born November 22, 1930 at home on Mill Street in Alliance, Ohio to Clara Elizabeth (Stump) Thomas and Virgil Leland Thomas, of Homeworth and Minerva farming families. As a young boy Paul was active with sports: baseball, football, basketball, golf. These games created a lifelong interest in organized sports beginning with baseball and basketball in seventh grade. It was his basketball talent that led him to Mount Union College where he was a business major, an Alpha Tau Omega and became the first in his family to graduate from college in 1953. There he met the love of his life, Marcia Ann Miller, whom he married in 1956 and with whom he was nine days shy of celebrating 68 years of marriage. 

After college he accepted a job at the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company where he worked until being drafted and serving 2 years in the Army in Japan and Korea just after the Korean War cease-fire. Upon return from the service, he was forever grateful that Goodyear ‘had a job waiting for him.’ He returned the favor by working for Goodyear for 38 years, retiring in 1991 as a Division Manager in the Purchasing Department. 

Paul was blessed with 33 years of retirement. During retirement he gave back to his alma mater through a part-time job streamlining purchasing for the growing university. He and Marcia traveled to Australia, England, Alaska, Hawaii, Florida, took numerous Caribbean cruises as well as frequent trips to New Jersey, Indiana and Massachusetts to visit their daughters’ growing families. He cherished time spent with his beloved sister and brother-in-law, Kathleen and Chuck Chapman and his Mount friends. He enjoyed helping to organize his Alliance High School reunions even though only a few classmates made it to their 60th! He was grateful for his Crestview Avenue neighbors, befriending many neighborhood children whom he loved to visit with and see riding their bikes.

Paul was a lifelong member of First Christian Church where he served as an Elder, Trustee and long-time member of the Church Bowling League. He was active in the Alliance Jaycees and “M” Club, and was a steadfast Cleveland baseball and Mount Union sports fan.

Those who knew him will know Paul was quick with a joke no matter how corny and enjoyed laughing with people. His humor remained to the end, his last joke being when Marcia asked if he was winking at her and he mumbled, “probably.”

Above all Paul was a devoted family man, guiding and supportive, sharing his love of sports, community (and Cedar Point!) with his three daughters. He enjoyed joking with his seven grandchildren and spent time on his last awake day with two of his three great-granddaughters. He was the epitome of his generation: a proud company man, an upstanding community citizen, patriotic, hard-working, modest, frugal, committed and loyal.

He is survived by his wife, Marcia, three daughters and three sons-in law: Leigh Ann Douglas (Brian) of Zionsville, IN, Karen Thomas (Mark Hensley) of Florence, MA, Linda Wood (Steve) of Kent, seven grandchildren: Breanna and Lila Hensley of Florence, MA, Harper and Clara Wood of Kent, OH, Allison Thommen of Clermont, FL, Laura Douglas of Oakland, CA and Craig Douglas of Pflugerville, TX, three great-granddaughters, and his niece Jill Chapman Battershell (Phil) and her family in the Cleveland area, and sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Ellen and Bill Sol of Alliance. He was predeceased by his sister and brother-in-law, Kathleen and Chuck Chapman, and his parents as well as all his cousins and nearly all of his closest friends.

In his own words, “We have had comfortable incomes and relatively good health and thank God for our many blessings.” 

The family invites you to join in any part of a joyful celebration of his life on Friday, July 12, 2024: visiting from 12:00-1:00pm and service from 1:00-1:45pm at First Christian Church 1141 W. Beech Street, Alliance Ohio; entombment from 2:30-3:00pm at Highland Memorial Park 264 S. 12th St, Beloit, Ohio; light meal at 3:30pm at and provided by First Christian Church. Live stream may be available for the service, contact kthom2560@gmail.com for details.

If you would like to give a donation in Paul’s name, the family recommends First Christian Church https://www.alliancefcc.com/give or Dementia Society of America dementiasociety.org/donate