Obituary of Relly Raymond Thomas

Of Huntsville, age 92, died Friday, January 18, 2008 at Crestwood Hospital in Huntsville, Alabama after a brief illness. The funeral service will take place at 11:00am, Wednesday, January 23, 2008 at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Flint. A private burial will be held at Flint Memorial Park. RellyAaas family will be present to receive friends today from 3:00pm Aa" 8:00pm at the Miles Martin Funeral Home in Mt. Morris. On Wednesday, Relly will be taken to church to lie in state from 10:00am until the time of service at 11:00am. Those that desire may direct memorial contributions to the church. Envelopes are available at the funeral home and church. Relly was born November 1, 1915 in Paragould, Arkansas, the youngest son of Mr. & Mrs. William and Rosa (Mullen) ThomasAaa nine children. He married Ruth Unger on July 6, 1941 in Flint, Michigan. Relly was preceded in death by his parents, brothers and sisters, and his wife of 54 years, Ruth Thomas. Mr. Thomas was an army veteran of the Pacific campaign in World War II; he served with Company B, 132D Infantry Division as a Combat Engineer in New Guinea, the Southern Philippines, Luzon and Japan. He worked as an Operating Engineer for Flint Excavating for many years and was a member of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Flint. He moved from Mt. Morris in 2002 to live at Somerby at Jones Farm in Huntsville, Alabama. He is survived by son Jack and wife Marjorie Thomas of Fort Wayne, Indiana; daughter: Carol and husband Ken Ille of Meridianville, Alabama; grandson: Todd Ille and wife Mandana of Wilmington, North Carolina; grandson: Ryan Thomas and wife Cassi of Norman, Oklahoma and granddaughter: Lindsay Ille of Auburn, Alabama; great-granddaughters: Hannah and Keeley Thomas of Norman, Oklahoma. He traveled to Washington in September 2007 on the Huntsville Honor Flight to see the World War II memorial. The memorial services in Huntsville, Alabama at Somerby are scheduled for January 26.