Sean Patrick Thomas

It is with deep sorrow that we relay the sudden passing of Sean Patrick Thomas on August 5, 2021. Sean was born in California but spent most of his youth in New Mexico before entering the US Navy at 17. He served on the USS Guadalcanal off the coast of Lebanon in the early 1980s. After leaving the Navy in his early twenties, Sean was a bit of a renaissance man—he painted houses, finished his education, taught elementary school, coached track, became a husband and father, and eventually attended Law School at the University of New Mexico. Sean’s friendly nature and love of food (and beer) landed him the role of Social Director for the Law School. (Speaking of Sean’s love of food, he was able to find the absolute best restaurants in any city he went to. Not the “finest”, just the places with the best damn food.) Sean moved his family to California in the late 1990s where he rediscovered his love for the ocean. He was an avid sportsman who enjoyed surfing, golf, pickleball, soccer, and really, just about anything that allowed him to be in the outdoors, kicking around with friends. He loved music, IPA, dogs, a good burger, and his three daughters, more than anything in the world. He was the kind of friend everybody wants—fiercely loyal and tons of fun. If you were lucky enough to know him, your life was better for it. Rest in peace, beloved Sean. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you take a moment a watch the beautiful sunset, breathe the ocean air, and think of Sean. He’d have loved that. Or you can make a donation to the Surfrider Foundation (surfrider.org). Or both.