Reverend Aubrey “Damon” Thomas was born January 23, 1931 and left this life December 4, 2013 from his home at The Baptist Home in Ozark. He was born in East Texas to Alma and Ernest Thomas. He graduated from Sam Houston High School in Houston, Texas. After hearing God’s calling to the ministry, he attended East Texas Baptist College in Marshall, Texas.
He married southern Oklahoma native Lois Cox. To this marriage, son Bradley was born. Lois passed at the age of 40 after a long battle with cancer. In 1972, Damon married Missouri native Helen Crain, who passed in 2003.
His 50+ years of ministry included churches in southern Oklahoma (Durant and Colbert), associate pastor at Thomas Avenue Baptist Church in Pasadena, Texas, then as pastor at Central Baptist Church in Longview, Texas. In 1971 Damon and Bradley moved to Missouri, where Damon served the following churches: First Baptist, Crocker; Halltown Baptist Church; Springfield’s Immanuel Baptist Church (for 21 years, from where he retired.) He then served as interim and pastor of Springfield’s Homeland Baptist Church before returning his church membership to Immanuel Baptist Church.
Damon’s life passion was to love others, and to serve Jesus telling others about God’s peace and love.
He is survived by son Bradley Thomas of Branson, MO; brother John “Forrest” Thomas and wife Yolanda, of Goliad, TX; niece Christine Cox Gamble and her husband Todd of Yukon, Oklahoma; niece Jeanne Watkins and husband Johnny of Waterloo, IL; Nieces Sue Deininger of Bakersfield, CA & Sharon Kelly of Houston, TX and nephew John Allen Thomas of Houston, TX, very special cousins Gayle Royer of Houston, TX and Brenda Bartle of Shreveport, LA.; and a special “adopted granddaughter” Amanda Bolin Marshall. Damon was also blessed with a host of very special friends who have loved him, laughed with him and praised the Lord with him in the past and in the present. VERY special thanks to the kind care provided through the years by the staff of Mercy Hospital, the loving staff and residents at The Baptist Home in Ozark, as well as his recent friends at Omega Healthcare/Hospice.
Funeral services will be at 2:00 P.M. Monday, December 9, 2013 at Greenlawn Funeral Home North 3506 North National Springfield, Missouri with Reverend Carl Rees officiating. Visitation will be from 2:00 to 4:00 P.M Sunday, December 8, 2013 in the funeral home.