Maurice “Tom” Thomas was born in Corvallis, Oregon on August 1, 1942, and died August 9, 2022.
He spent grades 1 - 8 in Brownsville, where his parents owned and operated a drug store.
In 1957, they moved back to Corvallis, where he attended Corvallis High School and Oregon State University.
He served 11 years in the army and had assignments in Germany, Vietnam, and Okinawa as well as Ft. Lewis, Washington, Aberdeen, Maryland and Detroit, Michigan.
After his discharge for the army, he worked briefly for Georgia Pacific where he was injured on the job. He then worked for the Internal Revenue Service and retired in 1998.
After retirement, he started a business with a friend. Despite spending 45 years in a wheelchair, he lived life on his own terms - figuring out ways to do what he wanted and never losing his sense of humor.
He was married to Eloise Byington on August 10,1963. He is survived by his wife, Eloise, daughter Kristy and son-in-law Carl Hansen and their children Aiden and Synove, daughter Shelley and son-in-law Seann Stafford and their children Eion and Finley, and his brother John Thomas and wife Nancy.