Walker-Eastman-Heydinger Funeral Home
98 W. Main St.
Norwalk, OH 44857
Phone: 419.663.4513
Fax: 419.663.6809
Cell Phone: 419.663.3504
Email: wehfh@eastmanfuneralhome.com
Website: https://www.eastmanfuneralhome.com/norwalk
View All Obituaries from Walker-Eastman-Heydinger Funeral Home
Last Tuesday, April 11, 2017, a husband died.
David Thomas, 97, the other half of the late Madeline Thomas, passed away to rejoin her in this their 72nd year together.
Born May 9, 1919 in Columbus, OH to Henrietta and John Thomas, the 3rd of 4 children, David was the first in what would become a branch populated with Buckeyes.
He earned his B.S., Chemical Engineering from The Ohio State University in 1941. In June of 1941, David was appointed Ensign in the United States Navy. Stationed in the Pacific theatre, Lt. David Thomas fought throughout World War II and served in Guadalcanal.
It wasn't until a military ball, one dreamily spoken of at Christmas dinners that David fell in love with Marine Sgt. Madeline Fenton, whom he later married on July 14, 1945.
A christian. A son. A brother. A buckeye. A soldier. A Goodyear employee. David was truly at himself in fatherhood; great and grand.
To his two sons, David and Tim, he imparted a lifestyle of cheerful stoicism. Amidst other's impatience, David stood humble, never one to lose his temper. Even as his golf handicap increased, David found his joy in people, in community. From the golf cart to the Carriage House, from Church to the living room, his was a life composed of conversation and laughter.
A grandfather who never escaped the grandeur of our childhood imagination, David Thomas will ever remain the indomitable body that held us tight as we grew. And in this first unfolding of his memory - what will become his future with us - we remember the delicate pull of his arm as his clenched hand staved off anything as terrible as goodbye.
David will be loved and remembered by his two sons David and Tim, their wives, Karen and Deborah, his seven grandchildren; David, Jr., Peter, Annie, Will, Katherine, Sarah, Timothy, two great-grandchildren; Sophia, David, IV, many nieces and nephews, and all those friendships that remained so close to his person throughout life.
To one as sociable and beloved as you, we can only say, "Thank you, there was no greater pleasure."
Friends may call on Thursday, April 20, 2017 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in Walker Funeral Home, 98 West Main St., Norwalk, Ohio. Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, April 21, 2017 at 10:30 a.m. in St. Paul Catholic Church, 91 East Main St., Norwalk, Ohio. Interment will be in Northlawn Cemetery, Peninsula, Ohio.
The family requests no flowers instead memorial contributions may be made to St. Paul Catholic Church, 91 East Main Street Norwalk, Ohio, or to The Fisher-Titus Foundation, 272 Benedict Avenue Norwalk, Ohio 44857.
Online condolences may be made by going to www.edwalkerfuneralhome.com.
