William Edward Thomas

William Edward Thomas, born in Kansas City, Missouri on June 2, 1914, died in San Antonio on February 25, 2002 at the age of 87. Bill arrived with his family in this city in 1922 and took up residence on Pleasanton Rd., across the street from a lumberyard, which his father managed. The family later moved to the Terrell Hills area, and Bill graduated from Alamo Heights High School in 1930. He continued his studies at San Antonio College, Schriener Institute Kerrville, and the University of Missouri before returning home in 1933 to begin his life's work in the lumber and building materials industry with Geo. C. Vaughan and Sons, where he rose to the position of vice-president before his retirement in 1988. He was an elder at First Presbyterian Church, and was active with the Alamo Kiwanis Club, where he served a term as president, the Texas Cavaliers, Trinity University Parents Association, the Boy Scouts of America, from whom he received the Silver Beaver Award, Bexar County Children's Shelter, Presbyterian Children's Home, and was member of San Antonio Country Club. He was also an accomplished watercolor artist displaying his work in a variety of art shows throughout the region over period of more than twenty-five years. His works reflected many of the traveles he and his wife Ann had made over the years throughout the United States, Mexico, South America and Europe. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 56 years, Ann. Bill is survived by his brother, Alex R. Thomas and his wife, Louise, of San Antonio; son, William E. Thomas, Jr of San Antonio; two grandsons, Jason E. Thomas and his wife, Rachel, of Houston, Texas, and William E. Thomas III of San Antonio; and his great-grandson, William Harrison Thomas of Houston.