Dear Mrs. Thomae, Albert, Bobby & families, I was so very saddened to read of Mr. Thomaes' passing. He always had a smile, kind word and a story to tell. What a great legacy he leaves for the generations to follow. Please know that my thoughts and prayers remain with you and yours during these dark hours. The pain of loss doesn't leave us but is eased with time. I extend my heartfelt sympathy.

Bob & Kim,

You will be in our thoughts and prayers. Rest assured that God's plan is always for the best.

Dear Bob, 
We were so saddened to hear the news of the passing of your Dad. Our thoughts are with you today and the coming days on your loss. We only wish that we could be there for you today. Just know, that we are a phone call away. If you need anything, please call. Danny would like for you to give his regards as well to Albert. We are thinking of you and your family. Many prayers are coming your way. 
With greatest sympathy, 
Danny and Diane Wilson

TRIBUTE TO MY FATHER, AL THOMAE FROM HIS SON BOB THOMAE ON DECEMBER 30, 2008 
7 PM. PORTER LORING MORTUARY GOOD EVENING. LET ME FIRST THANK EVERYONE HERE TONIGHT IN JOINING MY MOTHER, SISTERS, BROTHER AND ALL OUR CHILDREN AND EXTENDED FAMILY TO HONOR AND REMEMBER MY DAD. YOUR THOUGHTS, PRAYERS AND SUPPORT SINCE HIS INJURY IN SEPTEMBER ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED BY EVERY ONE OF US. MY DAD TOUCHED SO MANY LIVES DURING HIS 88 YEARS ON GOD?S EARTH. THE PRESENCE OF SO MANY OF HIS FAMILY, FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS AND ASSOCIATES IS A REAL TESTAMENT TO HIS FRUITFUL LIFE. AS I LOOK BACK OVER MY LIFE WITH DAD, IT HAS ALWAYS AMAZED ME HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE BEEN TOLD HOW LUCKY IT WAS TO HAVE A MAN LIKE AL THOMAE FOR A FATHER. OVER THE YEARS, UPON RUNNING INTO OLD FRIENDS AND ACQUAINTANCES WHO I HAVEN?T SEEN FOR YEARS, ONE OF THE FIRST QUESTION I AM INVARIABLY ASKED IS ?HOW IS YOUR DAD!? MORE IMPORTANTLY, THROUGHOUT MY ENTIRE PROFESSIONAL LIFE, I HAVE MET MANY NEW CLIENTS OR BUSINESS ASSOCIATES WHO?S FIRST OR SECOND QUESTION TO ME WOULD BE SOMETHING LIKE: ARE YOU AL?S SON? OR ARE YOU RELATED TO AC THOMAE FROM THAT HILLTOP DOWN BY FLORESVILLE? MY FIRST AND ONLY JOB INTERVIEW BEFORE GRADUATION FROM UT BUSINESS SCHOOL WAS ONE OF THESE EVENTS. THAT INTERVIEW WAS WITH THE SENIOR PARTNER OF ERNST AND ERNST AT THAT TIME. HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH OUR HERITAGE. I GOT THAT JOB! IT IS THRU THIS PRISM OF COMMENTS OVER THE YEARS THAT I HAVE LONG KNOWN THAT I HAD BEEN BLESSED WITH A GREAT DAD. I KNOW HE WAS FAR FROM PERFECT IN MANY WAYS, AND HE WAS NOT THE TOUCHY FEELY, SENSITIVE KIND OF MAN THAT SOME MIGHT PREFER. FOR ME HE EVOKED THE KIND OF LOVE AND RESPECT THAT YOU MIGHT GIVE TO A STERN GENERAL OR POWERFUL AUTHORITY FIGURE THAT PRACTICED TUFF LOVE AND LED YOU TO VICTORY. HE WAS THE MAN YOU WANTED TO HAVE RIGHT NEXT TO YOU IN THE FOX HOLE, IN A TUFF BATTLE. DAD WAS MADE UP OF MANY GOOD THINGS, VALUES AND HABITS ROLLED INTO A HARD CRUST BORN OUT OF A RANCHING LEGACY + THE GREAT DEPRESSION, THEN MELDED FURTHER ON NUMEROUS WWII BATTLEFIELDS BY THE RIPE OLD AGE OF 25. HE WAS MY HERO. HE WAS A GENTLEMEN. TALL, TUFF AND STRONG, BOTH MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY HE WAS DECISIVE ? OPINIONATED ?DELIGENT and INDUSTRIOUS HE WAS A STRIKING FIGURE, WHETHER ON A HORSE OR IN AN OFFICE HE WAS HARD WORKING, FIERCELY INDEPENDENT-SELF SUFFICIENT-SELF RELIANT AND A SELF-STARTER HE WAS ALWAYS A RESPONSIBLE AND STEADY PROVIDER FOR HIS FAMILY HE WAS A HORSE TRADER, HE NEGOTIATED FOR EVERYTHING, HE NEVER PAID RETAIL! HE WAS THRIFTY, BUT NOT CHEAP. HE WAS A PATRIOT, AND RESPECTED FOLKS THAT SERVED THEIR COUNTRY, WHETHER IN THE MILITARY OR LAW ENFORCEMENT TO ME THESE ARE SOME OF THE IMPORTANT VALUES THAT HAVE GUIDED ME FOR MY ENTIRE LIFE AND I HOPE THEY ARE NOW FIRMLY IMBEDDED IN MY 3 SONS AS WELL. DAD WAS GREGARIOUS, ENGAGING, BOISTEROUS WITH A DOMINATING PRESENCE THAT COMANDED YOUR ATTENTION IN ANY GROUP DISCUSSIONS, MOST QUESTIONS WERE DIRECTED TO HIM UNCOMPROMISING AT TIMES, YOU KNEW JUST WHERE HE STOOD ON THINGS. HE STOOD UP FOR WHAT HE BELIEVED. HE EVOKED LIFELONG RELATIONSHIPS AND CONNECTED WITH MULTIPLE GENERATIONS OF FOLKS HE CAME TO KNOW. HE SEEMED TO HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON WITH ANYONE HE SPOKE WITH, HE WAS CRACKING JOKES WITH THE HOSPITAL STAFF THE WEEK OF HIS DEATH. HE ELEVATED A DISCUSSION TO A MORE IMPORTANT LEVEL- HE COULD SEE THE BIG PICTURE. HE MADE ANYONE IN THE CONVERSATION WANT TO STAY ON THEIR TOES AND PAY ATTENTION OR RISK MISSING SOMETHING IMPORTANT, ON ANY TOPIC, BE IT RANCHING, HORSES, BANKING, POLITICS, ETC. HE CAPTIVATED PEOPLE IN CONVERSATION, WHETHER ON THE PATIO AT HIS RANCH, AT SCHOOL EVENTS, POLITICAL EVENTS, WEDDINGS, REUNIONS, ETC- MANY FOLKS WOULD PULL UP A CHAIR TO JOIN THE CONVERSATION OR JUST LISTEN IN TO HEAR HIS VIEWPOINTS IF YOU WERE INTERESTED IN LEARNING ABOUT RANCHING, CATTLE, HORSES, PASTURE MANAGEMENT, LIVESTOCK DISEASES, HE WOULD TAKE YOU BY THE HAND WITH THE STERNESS OF AN OLDFASHIONED GRADE SCHOOL TEACHER AND LAY IT ALL OUT. HE ALWAYS HAD TIME TO SHARE HIS DECADES OF EXPERIENCES FROM A SEEMINGLY ENCYCLOPEDIC MEMORY HE LOVED TO SHARE HIS KNOWLEDGE OF HORSES WITH A NOVICE OR DISCUSS ADVANCED CONCEPTS WITH WORLD CLASS TRAINERS HE MADE EVERY DAY IMPORTANT, IF YOU WERE AROUND HIM, YOU FELT THAT YOU WERE GOING TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING! HE HAD THE PRESENCE OF A MAN WITH GREAT WEALTH, WHICH HE WORE LIKE AN OLD COMFORTABLE SHIRT. HE WAS RICH FROM THE LOVE AND RESPECT FROM HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS HE WAS RICH IN TRADITIONS HE MAINTAINED AND DEFENDED HE WAS RICH IN HIS CONFIDENCE AND WAS AN EQUAL TO ANY MAN HE SHOOK HANDS WITH, HE NEVER HAD TO STATE OR CLAIM ANY OF THESE THINGS, IT JUST WAS! HE ATTRACTED FRIENDS FROM ALL STATIONS OF LIFE, THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE, THEY SOUGHT HIS COUNSEL OR THANKED HIM FOR HIS HELP AND HOPED TO SHARE HIS TREASURE BY VISITING HIS BELOVED HILLTOP RANCH- THE LIST OF VISITORS INCLUDED MOST OF YOU HERE TODAY, OVER THE YEARS IT ALSO INCLUDED SAN ANTONIO MAYORS AND COUNCILMEN, A TEXAS GOVERNOR, US VICE PRESIDENT, A FUTURE US PRESIDENT & A TREASURY SECRETARY, BOTH DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS! JUST LIKE HIS FATHER, PAPACHI, HE WAS THE OLD SAGE ON THE HILL TO MANY FOLKS, FOR AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER. IT WAS AN AMAZING THING TO WITNESS AS A TEENAGER AND IN MY LATER YEARS DAD?S LOVE TO HUNT WAS UNREPENTANT & HE MORE THAN TOLERATED HIS KIDS FISHING HABIT! HE TAUGHT US HOW TO READ ANIMAL SIGNS IN THE WOODS 
HE TAUGHT US TO WALK QUIETLY THRU THE FALLEN LEAVES AND THORNY BRUSH OF WINTERS PAST. 
HE TAUGHT US TO WATCH FOR THE SLIGHTEST MOVEMENT IN THE THICKEST COVER 
HE ENCOURAGED US TO SHOOT FAST, SMOOTH AND STRAIGHT 
WE LEARNED TO RESPECT AND EAT ALL THE WILD GAME WE HARVESTED 
HE TAUGHT US TO FISH, EVEN THOUGHT HE DIDN?T LIKE IT MUCH. 
I REMEMBER HOW IN 1963 WE WON THE SA ANGLERS CLUB KIDS FISHING CONTEST. WE CAUGHT A 5 GALLON BUCKET FULL OF HEALTHY FATHEAD MINNOWS IN THE SAN ANTONIO RIVER, DOWNTOWN, UNDER THE COMMERCE STR. BRIDGE. 
 COST: ZERO, GREAT BAIT! BUT THE FISH WERENT BITING AT LAMBERT BEACH IN BRACKENRIDGE PARK THAT SATURDAY MORNING, SO WE BAITED UP WITH PIECES OF TOMATOES FROM OUR LUNCH BAGS, GRASSHOPPERS AND ASSORTED BUGS HE CAUGHT WITH US ON THE RIVERBANK. WE WON WITH THE HEAVIEST STRINGER OF FISH. HE WAS SO PROUD, CAUSE WE BEAT OUT ALL COMERS, A THOUSAND KIDS, INCLUDING HIS BUDDIES KIDS WHO WERE DEDICATED FISHERMAN AND HAD INVITED HIM TO BRING HIS BOYS. HE TAUGHT US TO WIN, AND NEVER GIVE UP. IN HIS LATER YEARS HE SUPPORTED MY LOVE FOR FISHING BY HIS LONGSTANDING SUPPORT OF OUR FAVORITE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION, THE GCCA, NOW THE COASTAL CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS. FOR ABOUT THE LAST 20 YEARS, DAD DONATED THE USE OF HIS RANCH FOR A DOVE HUNT AND FAJITA FEAST, WHICH WAS AUCTIONED TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER AT THE ANNUAL CCA FUNDRAISING BANQUET. IT HAS BECOME THE LONGEST STANDING AUCTION ITEM IN THE SAN ANTONIO BANQUET?S HISTORY, RAISING CLOSE TO $200,000 SINCE 1990 TO PROVIDE COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS TO FUTURE MARINE SCIENTISTS AND LOBBY THE LEGISLATURE TO PROTECT OUR PRECIOUS MARINE RESOURCES. HE WAS A CONSERVATIONIST OF ALL WILDLIFE, FISH AND FOWL. THE REMARKABLE THING IS THAT NO ONE EXPECTS TO SEE MANY DOVES ON THIS HUNT, AS MOST OF THE 30 ANNUAL GUESTS WOULD STAY IN THE PATIO, SITTING AROUND THE BBQ PIT SO THEY COULD JUST TALK WITH MY FATHER ABOUT THE IMPORTANT TOPICS OF THE DAY. HE WOULD BE SURROUNDED BY CORPORATE EXECUTIVES, BANKERS, LAWYERS, DOCTORS, ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS WHO PAID $8,000 TO $10,000 TO SIT AND TALK TO THIS MAN FOR AN AFTERNOON. HE HAD A SPECIAL WAY WITH HORSES, WHO, NEXT TO MY MOTHER, WERE THE TRUE 2ND LOVE OF HIS LIFE. HE COULD SIZE UP A HORSE STANDING IN A PASTURE IN A MINUTE OR LESS. HE COULD ACCURATELY TELL YOU HIS HEIGHT, WEIGHT AND ASSESS HIS CONFIRMATION AND TEMPERMENT IN A FLASH. HE COULD RIDE AND CONTROL ANY HORSE HE GOT ON. AMAZINGLY, I NEVER SAW HIM GET THROWN. HE MUST OF DONE IT WHEN WE WEREN?T LOOKING. FROM THAT HORSE, OR WALKING THE GROUND, HE COULD EVALUATE A COW OR HEIFER IN A MINUTE, ESTIMATE HER WEIGHT, PALPATE HER IN HIS HEAD AND PREDICT WITH AN EERIE ACCURACY ABOUT WHEN SHE WOULD DROP HER NEXT CALF. HE METHODICALLY SHARPENED HIS POCKET KNIVES, MACHETES, AXES AND SUCH LIKE FINE SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS, EVEN IF THEY WERE 50 OR 75 YEARS OLD. WE WORKED WITH 100 YEAR OLD HAND TOOLS FROM OUR FOREFATHERS. LIKE HIS FOREFATHERS, HE BELIEVED IN BUYING THE BEST QUALITY TOOLS, GUNS AND EQUIPMENT YOU COULD AFFORD, AND TOOK CARE OF THEM TO LAST A LIFETIME. HE LIVED BY MANY BASIC TENETS WHICH WERE A MEASURE OF A MAN, AND HE APPLIED TO ALL THINGS; -HE BELIEVED IT WAS BETTER TO MAKE A DECISION, EVEN IF WAS 
 WRONG, THAN MAKE NO DECISION AT ALL. IN WWII, HE SAW MEN 
 DIE BECAUSE OF INDECISION. -NO TASK WAS TO MENIAL TO NOT BE DONE RIGHT, AY QUE HACERLO BIEN -YOU FINISHED WHAT YOU STARTED, AS QUICKLY AS YOU COULD. ANDALE, APURATE -YOU MADE A PLAN AND WORKED THAT PLAN -HE BELIVED A MAN WAS NOT PAID TO WATCH THE CLOCK, BUT WORK TIL 
 THE JOB IS DONE -YOU KEPT YOUR LINES STRAIGHT-AY QUE HACERLO DERECHO -THINGS SHOULD BE CLEAN AND NEAT, AND IN THEIR PLACE -HE HAD A STRONG SENSE THAT MANY THINGS HAD A NATURAL ORDER POR QUE ASI SON LAS COSAS DAD LEFT A HUGE SHADOW ACROSS THIS LAND, HE LEAVES A VERY LARGE FOOTPRINT IN HIS PATH THROUGH ALL OUR LIVES AND I FEEL WE HAVE BEEN TRULY BLESSED TO HAVE SHARED HIS LIFE FOR ALL THESE YEARS. ?DAD, YOUR COWS AND HORSES ARE FED, AND IT LOOKS LIKE RAIN IS COMING SOON. WE?LL KEEP OUR FINGERS CROSSED AND KEEP YOU POSTED?. FROM YOUR SON BOB, WHO MISSES YOU GREATLY.

My Dearest Thomae Family, I know the feeling of the loss of a great man like your Dad! It will be hard, but know that you will all be reunited in heaven once again. Thank God for all the blessings he bestowed upon you all with your Dad. I can remember your Dad always dressed in his suit on his way to work after taking us to school. Those were the days when simple things like his little promotional gifts he would give us were the best! I remmeber the little salt shakers and note pads with the Morton girl printed on them. Yes those were the days when our parents were in their prime and making our lives so perfect. Remember the ranch get togethers and then the birthday parties? It was a perfect time and we had the best parents ever to make the memories happen. Cherish the memories and just remember we will all be together once again~ God Bless you All! Love and blessings to my parents best friends and family, The De Leon's Let me know if there is anything we can assist you with! We are there~ 
Diane

Albert & Bobby Sorry for your loss. God Bless you and your families. Blessings 
SANDI PENA-LOCKABY

Conita, our thoughts and prayers are with you and the family.

To our dear Tia Conita and to our cousins,

We were very saddened to hear of the loss of our Tio Beto. We will always remember him fondly as we think of our many Easters spent with you all at the ranch.You are in our thoughts and our prayers. God bless you all.

Bento Thomae was one of the finest gentlement that I have ever met. He was never at a loss for words, a great Texas story or a quick come back comment, especially to a "Yankee". Visits to the ranch were experience that I still remember after almost 40 years. I learned his receipe for "Uncle Alberts' ribs" and still make then today. A piece of Texas history has passed on.

From the family of Mark and Dina Stark, our prayers and condolences.

Bob & Kim,

I regret that I did not have an opportunity to meet you Dad, the patriarch of whom you spoke of with such positive convictions. That’s my loss, which cannot compare to the loss for your family in this mater and for which you and your family have my sympathy, support, and friendship.

Dear Bob and Family - I was so sorry to learn of your father's passing. He was always such an outgoing gentlemen in the times I was around him. His presence at the CCA hunt/barbeques at your beloved ranch will be greatly missed but never forgotten. My thoughts and prayers are with you and all your family at this time. Pat Cowles

Dad, Your cattle are fed, the horses are brushed and it looks like rain is coming this week. We will keep our fingers crossed. Thanks for being there for the boys, Kim and me all these years.

OBITUARY

Adalberto Carlos Thomae, Jr.

July 15, 1920 – December 27, 2008

Porter Loring Mortuary - McCullough

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