Mr. Jon William Thomas' Obituary
Jon William Thomas, 48, of Hendersonville died March 19, 2018. He was born May 18, 1969 in Asheville, NC to Wayne Thomas and June (Jim) Burem. Jon is survived by his wife Jennifer (Wallace) Thomas and their children, Jane and Jasper Thomas, of Hendersonville, TN; mother June Burem and stepfather Jim Burem of Kingsport, TN; and brother Todd (Kim) Thomas of Knoxville, TN; niece Abigail Thomas and nephew Ben Thomas; extended family Gerald and Claire Wallace of Spartanburg, SC; sister-in-law Eileen Wallace; sister-in-law Stephanie (Bob) Wallace and niece Maggie Wallace; brother-in-law Grant (Jean) Wallace and niece Bridget Wallace. His father Wayne Thomas preceded him in death.
Jon graduated Dobyns-Bennett High School in Kingsport, TN in 1987 where he was vice-president of the Student Council. He received a BS in Construction Science from Clemson University where he was vice-president of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. He moved to Nashville in the early 90’s when you could still park on Second Avenue and, to quote Jon, “there were actual parking spaces”.
With family roots in southwest Virginia, Jon had a strong sense of place and deep appreciation of the region. Jon loved history, was an avid reader and when travelling, he would often visit local landmarks to learn more about each place. He was always setting health or personal fitness goals and enjoyed spending active time outdoors. He would often say he was the only person that used the Bicentennial Park when it first opened in downtown Nashville or at least he was the only one running there at 5:00 in the morning. Knowing his aversion to social media, it may be a surprise to learn that he followed Tennessee State Parks and other outdoor sites. He loved Christmas and Thanksgiving and being surrounded by friends and family.
As a youth, he played football for the Boys and Girls Club and he gave back to this organization through his leadership as an early member of the Phoenix Club of Nashville. In high school, he was the General on the football field and was the heart and soul of his team as a three-year starter and team captain for an 11-1 season his senior year.
He was compassionate and empathetic and would do anything for his friends and family. Everyone was always welcome in their home, under any circumstances and without obligation. Jon was a devoted and loving husband, father, son, brother and true, life-long friend to many. He had a well-developed sense of humor with a quick-wit and a contagious, welcoming smile that always made you feel at ease.
Visitation will take place on Friday, March 23, 2018 from 4:00-8:00 PM at Spring Hill Funeral Home in Madison, TN. On Saturday, March 24, 2018 a short visitation will be held from 10:00-11:00 AM preceding the service starting at 11:00 am at St. Joseph Church in Madison, TN.
In lieu of flowers, have a sip of moonshine or a beer for Jon. A fund has been established for Jane and Jasper at https://www.gofundme.com/a-bright-future-for-jane-amp-jasper.
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