MR. JERRY NEIL THOMAS, SR., age 77, of Eastman, GA, died Tuesday, November 24, 2020 at Fairview Park Hospital in Dublin. Graveside services will be held at 2:00PM, Tuesday, December 8 at Orphans Cemetery in Eastman, with Rev. Tim Tanner officiating. Social distancing and face masks are suggested.
MR. JERRY NEIL THOMAS, SR., age 77, of Eastman, GA, died Tuesday, November 24, 2020 at Fairview Park Hospital in Dublin. Graveside services will be held at 2:00PM, Tuesday, December 8 at Orphans Cemetery in Eastman, with Rev. Tim Tanner officiating. Social distancing and face masks are suggested.
Mr. Thomas was born in Fernandina Beach, FL and was of the Baptist faith. He was the son of the late Willie Frank Thomas and Velma Dixon Thomas. He grew up in Fernandina and spent summers at his Dixon grandparents’ farm. He was a 1961 graduate of Fernandina Beach High School, where he excelled in basketball, football and baseball. He attended college briefly before going to work with Gilman Paper Company in St. Marys, GA. After a few years he transferred with Gilman to St. Louis, MO and worked there for several years before returning to St. Marys. Mr. Thomas moved to the Eastman Gilman plant in 1986. He held several management positions before he retired in 2007 after 46 years of service. Mr. Thomas was a dedicated husband, a loving father and grandfather who enjoyed golfing, working in his yard and especially enjoyed attending his grandsons’ sporting events.
He is survived by his wife of 30 years – Sue Thomas of Eastman; 1 Son – Jerry “Jay” Thomas, Jr. (Kim) of Virginia; 4 Daughters – Wendy McCall of Montana, Christy Johns (Jamie) of Kingsland, GA, Lori Loewnau (Mitchell) of Chauncey, GA and Cindy Mearns (Bill) of Oxford, MS; 1 Sister – Ilee Denmark (Jim) of Fernandina Beach, FL; Brother-In-Law – Ralph Gaskin (Sharon) of Laytonsville, Maryland; 8 Grandchildren – Craig Barton, Ethan Barton, Emily Parker, Sydney Thomas, Brittany Lovelace, Matthew Johns, Brandon Johns, and Ashlyn Johns; 6 Great-Grandchildren – Lileigh, Melaina, Rainier, Adler, Lyric, and Leena; Several nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Mr. Thomas will lie-in-state from 10:00AM-4:00PM Monday, December 7. For those who wish in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, www.stjude.org.
Locally owned and operated, Stokes-Southerland Funeral Home, has been "A Tradition of Trust" to Eastman, Dodge County and Middle Georgia for over 65 years.