Jerry Thomas
September 27, 1946 — November 14, 2013
Jerry W. Thomas, age 67 years of Edwardsburg, Michigan and formerly of Niles died at 12:05 p.m. on Thursday, November 14, 2013 at Saint Vincent Hospital, Indianapolis, Indiana following an extended illness.
He was born on September 27, 1946 in South Bend, Indiana to Walter B. and Mary L. (Hall) Thomas. He graduated from Niles High School in 1965 and from Ferris State University in 1968, and has lived in Edwardsburg since 1968. He was employed at Lithotone, Inc. in Elkhart, Indiana for forty-one years, retiring in 2009. In retirement, he has worked at the Hoosier Harley-Davidson dealership in Elkhart.
Jerry enjoyed motorcycling, and was a member of the Elkhart Chapter of H.O.G. (Harley Owners Group). He had traveled extensively including thirty-two of the United States, and parts of Canada. He also enjoyed camping at Hollywood Shores Resort in Union, Michigan, and he enjoyed fishing.
On July 30, 1966 in Niles he married his high school sweetheart, Linda L. Doepker with whom he celebrated in July the forty-seventh anniversary of their marriage.
He is survived by his wife, Linda Thomas and by their children, Daniel S. Thomas and Jennifer R. Clanton, both of Edwardsburg, and Robert J. (& Jane) Thomas of South Bend; grandchildren Jacob (& Heather) Rouch, Jarrod A. Williams, Nathan R. Thomas, Delaney Thomas, Justin Rouch, and Alexis Clanton; a great-granddaughter, Rylea Rouch; and Jerry’s mother, M. Lucille Thomas of Edwardsburg and brother Bernard James Thomas of Granger, Indiana and many nieces and nephews.
Jerry was preceded in death by his father, Walter Thomas, and brothers David A. Thomas and Neil L. Thomas.
The funeral service for Jerry W. Thomas will be at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 21, 2013 at the Halbritter Funeral Home in Niles with the pastor of Granger Missionary Church officiating, and will conclude with a motorcade including motorcycles to his gravesite at Edwardsburg Cemetery.
The family will receive relatives and friends from 2:00 until 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday at the funeral home. Contirbutions in memory of Jerry may be made to the American Heart Association.