William "Bill" Morgan Thomas

William Morgan "Bill" Thomas, age 82, passed away peacefully on March 28, 2026, at his home in Knoxville, Tennessee. Bill was born William Beaver Morgan on June 21, 1943, in Knoxville, Tennessee to Anne Brakebill Morgan. Bill’s biological father, Milton Morgan, predeceased his birth. Anne subsequently married Norman Thomas who adopted Bill, and his name became William Morgan Thomas.

Bill graduated from West High School where he was a competitive basketball player. Because of his height (6’6” in his younger days), his close friends often called him “Tree”. He went on to attend the University of Tennessee and graduated in 1964 with a degree in Business. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity where he met many life-long friends.

He married Sharon Kelly Thomas on December 19, 1964, and together they had two sons, William "Morgan" Thomas, Jr. and Reese Kelly Thomas.

In 1964, despite being told after an aptitude test that he would never succeed as an insurance salesman, Bill joined TIS Insurance Services, Inc. (then Tennessee Insurance Service, Inc.), a company founded by his mother and father in 1945. Based in large part on his legendary work ethic, over more than six decades, he helped build TIS from a small local agency (3 employees when he arrived) into one of the largest independently owned insurance brokers in the country. He was absolutely dedicated to his business and taking care of his clients. Throughout his career, he earned many industry accolades including Agent of the Year from numerous insurance companies.

Bill’s contributions to the business community earned him induction into the East Tennessee Business Hall of Fame in 2006. In his acceptance speech, he explained his life was based on a commitment to what he called the 5 “F”s: faith, family, friends, financial, and fraternity.

Bill had a rare gift for friendship. While most make acquaintances, he made best friends and cared deeply for them. Bill was sincerely appreciative of the people in his life, whether lifelong friends, clients who trusted him with their insurance, or colleagues who worked alongside him. He never had a bad word to say about anyone and extended grace and forgiveness to those who fell short. He was generous to a fault and never turned away a person in need.

In business, he could be demanding, but only because he believed his clients deserved the highest level of care and attention. Despite the long hours he devoted to TIS, he always made time for his family. When Morgan and Reese were young, he came home every evening for dinner promptly at 6:00 pm and then returned to his office to work well into the night.

Bill was a member of Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church and Cherokee Country Club. On Saturdays, after spending the morning at his office, he loved joining his friends for lunch and to watch sports (being fiercely competitive, he was a lifelong sports fan and particularly loved the New York Yankees) in the Trophy Room at Cherokee.

Bill was preceded in death by Sharon, his beloved wife of 60 years, his mother Anne, his father, Norman, and his biological father, Milton. He is survived by his two sons, Morgan (Kristi) and Reese (Scarlett); his daughter-in-law emeritus Mary Lyons Thomas; his brother, Norman Thomas II (Helen); his four grandchildren, Reese "Kelly" Thomas, Jr. (Kara), Carter Price Thomas, Carson Adams Thomas (Brooke), and Cameryn Thomas Russell (Luke); his three great-grandchildren, Henley, Delaney, and Will Thomas; and nieces and nephews Virginia Kelly Price (Tom), Nelson Kelly (Lori), Benjamin “Ben” Kelly (Barsha), Kristy Kelly, Lane Kelly, and Michelle Thomas Lawson.

The family would like to recognize and thank all of those who helped care for Bill with a special thank you to Dr. David Rankin and his staff, along with caregivers Clim, Sharon, and Sherry.

There will be a private burial ceremony for the family followed by a gathering for friends and family at Cherokee Country Club from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1, 2026. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church.