THOMAS, ROBERT H.

YAKIMA – Dr. Robert Henry Thomas, 78, passed away on Tuesday, September 5, 2000, in his home.

He was born on February 12, 1922, in Manhasset, New York, to Eugene William Thomas and Myrtle Alma (Rose) Thomas. He was raised and educated in Menlo Park, CA. He was a member of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and was called to active duty in 1941. He volunteered for the 1st Raider Battalion (“Edson’s Raiders”), and on Guadalcanal earned the Purple Heart and Silver Star. He was honorably discharged in 1945.

While attending the University of California at Berkeley, Bob met his future wife, Elizabeth “Lou” Joslyn who was studying Public Health. It was love at first sight, and the couple married on June 25, 1947, in Pasadena, CA. They graduated from the University of California in June of 1947. He received his M.D. degree from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School in 1951. Dr. Thomas served his two-year internship at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, IL. In 1954, he and his family moved to the Yakima Valley where Dr. Thomas practiced family medicine in Harrah for eleven years. He later practiced medicine in Seattle, Selah and Yakima. During the last four years of his career, he worked for Aramco in Saudi Arabia. He retired in 1987. He loved golfing, fly fishing and gardening.

He is survived by his wife of forty-nine years, Lou Thomas of Yakima; six children, Carolyn Thomas Chandler of Walla Walla, Roberta “Robin” Mondares and her husband Ted of Seattle, Jeff Thomas and his wife Shellie Tucker of Seattle, Tamlyn Norris and her husband Dobbie of Seattle, Dr. Laurel Brion and her husband Alain of Bellingham, and Kristofor Zehm and his wife Shelly of Seattle; nine grandchildren, Jocelyn, Tara and Thomas Chandler, Elena Jenkins, Mariana, Weston and Bryon Coby and Cortney and Zane Norris; one great-granddaughter, Yasmeen Jenkins; and one brother, Alex Thomas and his wife Gretchen of Sun City, CA. He was preceded in death by his parents.

Memorial services will be held on Saturday, September 9, at 2:00 p.m. in St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church (4105 Richey Road).

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church or the American Heart Association.