Doug is survived by his wife, Kathleen (Schafer), of Okemos, MI; his daughter, Heather (Jon) Lear, of Portland, MI; his daughter, Alison (Charlie) Dyess, of Holly Springs, NC; his brother, Larry (Vickie) Thomas, of Remus, MI; grandchildren, Gabriel and Madalynne Lear, Evangeline and Xavier Dyess; brothers-in-law, Gerald (Brenda) Schafer, of Cary, NC; Timothy Schafer of Bloomington, IL; Paul (Katie) Schafer, of Springfield, IL; and many loving nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence and Emma (Gardner) Thomas of Lansing, MI; his sister, Cathy Gousetis, of Lansing, MI; his sister-in-law, Mary Schafer Cichowski, of Wheaton, IL; and his former wife, Pamela (Cox) Thomas, of Lansing, MI.
Doug was born on May 1, 1946, in Lansing, MI, to parents Lawrence and Emma. He graduated from Everett High School in 1965 and studied Fire Science at Lansing Community College. Doug served in the U.S. Navy from 1966-1970 on the USS Spiegel Grove. After a brief stint at Oldsmobile, Doug enjoyed 25 years serving the citizens of Lansing as a firefighter, retiring at the rank of Captain in March of 1998. Those life-saving skills followed Doug into retirement, as evidenced by his timely use of the Heimlich maneuver to rescue a gentleman who was choking in a local restaurant.
Doug was a great family man and a loving father. His marriage in 1968 to Pamela (Cox) blessed them with a beautiful daughter, Heather Lynne, whom he adored. His subsequent marriage in 1996 to his “soul-mate” Kathleen (Schafer) gave him further opportunity to love and mentor another daughter, Alison (Forbes), through the teenage years and beyond. His daughters’ eventual marriages to Jon (Lear) and Charlie (Dyess) blessed him with the sons he never had. But the absolute delight of his life were his adoring grandchildren, Gabriel, Maddie, Eva and Xavier (X-man.) He relished every opportunity to tease them as only a grandpa could.
Doug was an extremely social, charming man who could strike up a conversation with a total stranger, and often did. He was equally quick with a kind word or a bitingly witty retort. Doug loved the outdoors and was especially fond of spending time in Michigan’s north woods, camping, swimming, boating, biking, hunting, and fishing. Lake Charlevoix, where he vacationed at Young State Park with family throughout his life, held a special place in his heart. He cherished the many hours he spent with his younger brother, Larry, in deer blinds, tubing on the Muskegon River and fishing Michigan’s many lakes and streams. He loved to travel; Doug and Kathy took many road trips together and especially enjoyed their adventures in Key West, FL. His family and friends will always remember him as a kind, fun-loving, gentle soul.
A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, September 18 at 2 p.m. with visitation at 1 p.m., at Gorsline Runciman, 900 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Doug’s life. The family would like to thank the amazing staff at Spectrum Health Pennock Hospital in Hastings, MI for their compassionate care during Doug’s last days. Special thanks to Angie and Donnie Lewis, Tom Gousetis, Patti Johnson and Holly Godbey who were there to comfort and support Doug’s wife and daughter. Donations can be sent to the Alzheimer’s Association, the Fat Ass 5K & Street Party for Charity, the City Rescue Mission of Lansing or a charity of your choosing.
The family invites those who can't make the service in-person to watch a live broadcast of the service at the following link, https://webcast.funeralvue.com/events/viewer/60582
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.grlansing.com for the Thomas family.
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