William Darrell Thomas

William “Bill” Darrell Thomas left us on Monday, October 9, 2023, at the U.S. Veterans Administration Home in Ardmore, Oklahoma. He was the husband of Mattie “Faye” Watkins Thomas, sharing five years together.

William was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on April 29, 1940, the second son of Robert L. Thomas Sr. and Maxine L. Smith Thomas. As a child of an Army family, William lived in multiple countries. As an adult, he served in the U.S. Air Force. In the civilian world, Bill was an entrepreneur, at one time managing the Oklahoma Entertainer trade paper; the Oklahoma City Thunder football team, and Miss LaVon’s Beauty School, plus many other business ventures.

He was an active member of the Mental Health community of Oklahoma. Bill enjoyed studying the American Civil War and was an avid reader. He will be remembered for his talkativeness, concern for the “down and out,” his eclectic book and art collections, and yard sales.

William is survived by his wife Faye of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; favorite pets Napoleon and Twerp; brother Robert of Newcastle, England; and friend of 58 years Billy J. Myers of Oklahoma City.

He is preceded in death by his mother Maxine; niece Nancy; nephew Michael; sister-in-law Audrey; and previous wives Barbra Kay, Carolyn, Leslie, and LaVon.

A celebration of life will be held on Thursday, October 19, 2023 at 1:00 pm at Advantage Funeral Home- South Chapel, 7720 S. Pennsylvania Avenue, Oklahoma City. Inurnment will be in Harrison, Arkansas. Memorial donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Greater Oklahoma City namigreaterokc.org. If in crisis, call 988.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.AdvantageSouth.com for the Thomas family.