"My father, Malcolm Dean Thomas, was born September 6, 1935, in a house on Meighan Boulevard in Attalla, Alabama. Almost 76 years later, he passed away just down the same road at Gadsden Regional Medical Center in Gadsden, Alabama. But the years in between were filled with the full life of a quiet, gentle man who was bigger than life to me.
Daddy’s parents raised him and his younger brother, Deward, in the rural community of Moody’s Chapel in the town of Altoona, Alabama. Daddy was three years older than Uncle Deward and opposite in personality. Daddy was the quiet, serious one while Uncle Deward was mischievous and outgoing. A tragic farming accident and not his job as an Etowah County Sheriff’s Deputy, cut Uncle Deward’s life short in 1972 at the age of 33. Daddy and my grandfather discovered the accident and Daddy had nightmares about it the rest of his life.
Daddy joined the United States Air Force not long after graduating from Altoona High School. He spent close to 10 years in the service stationed from Florida to Alaska. He went on to have many different jobs including working in an ice cream factory, working at the Russell Cave National Monument, delivering propane gas, and he spent about 18 years working in the shop at Bowman Truck Lines in Birmingham. His last job was as a Greeter for 16 years in the Garden Center at Boaz Wal-Mart. He worked hard his entire life and was still employed, on a leave of absence, at the time of his death.
Daddy married my mother, Shirley, in 1960, and they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2010 before Momma passed away in January of this year. Daddy followed her to Heaven just 7 months and 2 days later. I was born in 1981 after Daddy and Momma had been married for 21 years and had given up on ever having children. I could not have asked for more loving and dedicated parents.
Daddy enjoyed gardening, fishing, Alabama football, and drinking coffee. He was a man of few words but he could tease with the best of them once he got to know you. He was extremely friendly and his go-to phrase was, “Y’all go with us”. He was a caring, dedicated husband and took care of Momma for several years after her health started declining. He has left behind a legacy of kindness and love. A lot of employees at the hospital remember the many nights he would come straight to the hospital from working at Wal-Mart, sleep on the cot beside her bed, and then leave the next day to get ready for work again. He also left a legacy of kindness to his customers and fellow associates at Wal-Mart. I’ve heard comments such as, “He was always smiling” and “You can’t find a better man than that”. I know I am extremely proud and thankful to be his daughter.
More important than any other relationship, my Daddy had a saving relationship with Jesus and it showed in his attitude and countenance. Today as we bury my Daddy on his birthday, he has celebrated another kind of birth day. I know without a doubt that he is in Heaven with Jesus right now. He is finally able to rest and he is free from the pain of cancer. I believe he is reunited with his precious wife, as well as the brother with whom he never had a change to say goodbye. Only because of the sacrifice of Jesus who died for our sins and my own relationship with Jesus, I have the amazing hope and anticipation of seeing my Daddy, as well as my Momma, again. Instead of sickness and pain, one day I will see the radiance of Heaven on their faces and will be able to spend eternity with them there."
- Debra Thomas Graybeal
“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33 NIV
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.” - 1 Thessalonians 4:13 NLT
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