Mr. Robert Carl Thomas, age 87, of Manchester, passed from this life on Monday, June 19, 2023, at Alive Hospice in Murfreesboro. Mr. Thomas was born in Baltimore, MD, to his late parents Carl Thomas and Anna Harker Thomas. He graduated from Dundalk High School in Dundalk, MD. Later he obtained an Associate’s degree from Harford Community College in Bel Air, MD, attended Towson State University, in Towson, MD and obtained a Bachelor of Theology from Trinity College of the Bible in Evansville, IN. He served as a Sergeant and Electronic Countermeasures Specialist in the US Army. He retired from Bethlehem Steel’s industrial engineering department after 30 years in Sparrows Point, MD. After retirement he served as a jail and prison chaplain with Good News Jail and Prison Ministry in Arlington, VA and later was Director for Road to New Life, in Annapolis, MD. He was also a prison chaplain for the State of MD at the Diagnostic Center in Baltimore before moving to TN where he was on staff at Light House Baptist Church in Antioch, TN and Trinity Baptist Church in Manchester, TN. Additionally, he conducted Bible study at Kingwood Arms for several years. He and his wife were longtime members of Canadian Revival Fellowship, assisting in counseling. Bob was a current member of Calvary Baptist Church in Manchester. He loved traveling throughout the United States (visiting 49 of 50), fishing, playing pinochle at Manchester Senior Center, and putting jigsaw puzzles together on his back porch as he enjoyed the hummingbirds and all the beauty of God’s nature in his back yard. He loved listening to music (especially Hawaiian), and frequently watched Western and war movies (often multiple times) enjoying them very much. Mr. Thomas is survived by his wife, Sylvia Martin Thomas; sons, Gregory Martin Thomas, Hilliard, OH, and Darryl Keith (Lisa) Thomas, Guyton, GA; daughter, Paula Francine (Dan) Fox, Bel Air, MD; grandchildren, Rachel Thomas, Blacksburg, VA, Christian, Hudson, William and Bethany Fox, Bel Air, MD, Brandy (Austin) Dillon, Baltimore, MD and Bret Blevins, Denver, CO; two great grandchildren, Dalton and Weston Dillon, Baltimore, MD; two sisters-in-law, Jan Martin and Carole Mohr, Manchester, TN; niece, Gina (Tom) Watters, Grand Prairie, TX; and special friend, Dave (Janet) Saneman, Forest Hill, MD. Visitation will be held Saturday, June 24, 2023, from 12:00pm until 3:00pm at Central Funeral Home in Manchester, TN. Funeral services will immediately follow visitation at 3:00pm in the chapel of Central Funeral Home with Dr. Kerry Walker and Bro. Jon Hollifield officiating. Burial will follow at Fountain Grove Cemetery. Central Funeral Home is honored to serve the Thomas family, 931-723-7774, centralfuneralhome.com
