Keith Himes Thomas

Keith, a husband, father, brother, and friend left this earthly world for heaven’s realms on March 7, 2021. He was born in Lansing, MI on October 7, 1946 to Marcia (nee Himes) and Allison “Al” Thomas. He attended kindergarten at Walnut Street School. Later, the young family moved to East Lansing where Keith graduated from high school in 1964. His youth interests included the ELHS swimming team and becoming an Eagle Scout. He majored in history and business at Adrian College and spent two college summers working at Glacier National Park. He was assigned to Germany in the Army during the Vietnam War and enjoyed traveling to other European countries in his spare time.

Keith’s career consisted of auditing and accounting in the Lansing area starting at Knapp’s Department Store and then, Farm Bureau Insurance, Melody Farms Dairy, Orchid Gene Screen, and finally MSU Student Cooperative. With a young family, he completed an MBA program at Saginaw Valley State University in the evenings.

He enjoyed meeting people and working on community service projects over the years with the Jaycees, Kiwanis or Rotary groups and exercised playing racquetball, swimming, canoeing and working out at the “Y”. Church activities introduced him to mission trips first to Nicaragua and then through Curtis Bartz’s friendship to Haiti where he enjoyed helping improve the Methodist schools, clinics and churches. In his later years, he resumed his love of model trains and became involved with a Model Railroad Club in running model trains at Impression 5 Museum and the MSU children’s garden.

Surviving family members include his wife Mary and children Justin (Nova) in New Jersey, Ken in Lansing and Laura in Montana/Colorado; sisters Anne (Michael) Conwell and Jean Thomas; brother Gurudharm Khalsa (Catherine) remain from his nuclear family along with two nephews, one niece and five loving cousins who live scattered through the U.S.

A small family service at Okemos Community Church will be held on March 16, 2021. A Memorial celebration for all friends, relatives and co-workers may be held at a later date. If desired, the family suggests memorial contributions to the Local East Lansing Rotary Club or the Haiti School Project through the Ypsilanti United Methodist Church (209 Washtenaw Ave, Ypsilanti, MI 48197). Memories can be shared at https://www.digni-tymemorial.com/obituaries/10090681