Joel Miles Thomas

Joel Miles Thomas, 73 Master Sergeant, United States Air Force, Ret. Joel M. Thomas born in 1932 in Anson County, NC, the son of the late BA and Grace Thomas died Thursday, Dec. 8, 2005 at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD of Cancer. He resided in Paeonian Springs, VA, with his beloved wife of 51 years, Mary M. Thomas. Survivors include three daughters, Mary Mortellaro and her husband Jeff, Jane Nash and her husband Jim, Margaret Thomas and one son, Joel. Grandchildren include Charity, Scott, Katie, Michael, Melissa, Nick, Michaela, Harry, and Haley; seven great-grandchildren, Tyler, Jacob, Dylan, Allison, Brett, Camden, and Malcolm; also survived by seven sisters, three brothers and numerous nieces and nephews. MSgt. Thomas joined the US Air Force in 1951 and during his career was stationed at Lackland, Lowry, and Westover AFBs before joining the 1254th Air Transport Group at Washington National Airport in 1954 providing ground transportation to senior military and congressional people during the Eisenhower and Kennedy Administrations. From 1966 to 1969, MSgt Thomas was stationed with the 7272nd Air Training Wing at Wheelus Air Force Base in Tripoli, Libya and was at Wheelus on June 6th 1967, during the 6-day Middle East war and assisted in the evacuation of over 6,000 military dependents and American oil workers stationed in Libya. Mrs. Thomas and the four children were among the evacuees. After serving briefly at Chanute Air Force Base, IL, he returned to the DC area serving with the 89th Military Airlift Wing at Andrews Air Force Base from which he retired in 1971. Mr. Thomas loved to play golf, garden, fish, handicap the ponies, enjoy his friends and family, and feed squirrels and songbirds. In recent years, the Thomas’s’ were snowbirds and spent time in their winter home in Clearwater, FL. The family will receive friends at Loudoun Funeral Chapels, 158 Catoctin Circle, SE Leesburg, VA from 2 until 4 pm and 6 until 9 pm on Tuesday, December 13, 2005. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Wednesday, December 14, 2005 at Noon at St. John the Apostle Catholic Church, corner of King and Union Sts. Leesburg, VA. Interment will take place immediately following at St. John’s Cemetery. In Lieu of Flowers, memorial contributions in his memory may be sent to the St. John the Apostle Church Building Fund, 101 Oakcrest Manor Drive NE, Leesburg, VA 20176.

Joel Miles Thomas

December 8, 2005