July 5, 1938 — September 1, 2023

It is with great sadness we announce the passing of our beloved father, grandfather, and husband in the early morning hours of September 1st in Kamloops, B.C. After a stoic battle with a variety of ailments he passed peacefully at 85 years of age.

Don is survived by his loving partner of 20 years Karen McLeod. The couple shared a love of travel, cruises, and weekly car trips. Like his father before him, dad loved to jump in the car and go for a drive without any predetermined destination. Don was born in Ponoka Alberta to parents David & (Myfanwy) Thomas He was the third of six boys. His siblings are Ray (predeceased) Thomas, Bill (Irene) Thomas, Robert (Lucy) Thomas, Ken (Shirley) Thomas, Brian Thomas. He has 14 nieces and nephews living in B.C. and Alberta.

Don met and married Yvonne (nee Pelletier predeceased) in Ponoka, Alberta. From there they moved to Trail and had their first daughter Colleen (predeceased) who married Randy Erfle giving Don 2 grandchildren Donald and Devon. From Trail they moved to Kamloops where their second daughter Linda was born. After Kamloops they moved to Calgary where they had their third daughter Tracy who with her husband Jason Dandenault gave him a granddaughter Rachel. From Calgary the couple and their 3 daughters moved back to Kamloops where they incredibly moved back into the same house/address they had rented in 1961.

In his early years Don loved to hunt pheasant and he always had a German Shorthaired pointer at his side. His greatest passion was the game of golf. He won his first club championship in Ponoka in 1958 and many trophies and championships followed. Naturally this love of golf led him to Palm Springs where he would live in the winter months and play golf on a daily basis. In Kamloops he was once a member of The Dunes, Rivershore and Kamloops Golf and Country Club. Don was also a long-time member of Associated Canadian Travelers.

He held a variety of jobs in his life, but he never liked working for others. He tried for decades to find himself a niche which finally came to him when he began Duradeck, a company he ran with his son-in-law Randy and that he continued to manage from his home office until the day he died.

Don was known for his quick wit and wry sense of humour. He also possessed a natural charm and charisma. His favourite daily pastimes were doing crossword puzzles, watching the golf channel followed by local and international news topped off with his daily Happy Hour. This entailed his favourite Bacardi rum with his favourite coke in his favourite glass. Yes, he could be very particular about certain rituals and mixing his cocktail was an unwavering tradition in the Thomas household.

The family would like to invite everyone to celebrate Don’s full life at the Kamloops Golf and Country Club on Sunday September 17, 2023, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

You may offer a message of condolence at Cypress Funeral & Cremation Services for the Thomas family.

• Date : 2023-09-01
• Location : Kamloops