Obituary of Louie Franklin Thomas

Louie Franklin Thomas, Jr. passed away on February 25, 2010; he was 67 years old. He was born in San Francisco, Calif. to Louie and Iva Thomas and moved to the Akron area in 1980. He was a member of the U.S. Army, having served two tours in Vietnam, and retired in 1980 after 20 years of service. He then worked for Friendly's Ice Cream Corp. for 12 years before putting himself back through school to ultimately teach at ETI Technical College in North Canton, Ohio. Louie loved warm weather, especially the years that he lived in Hawaii. He enjoyed golfing and volunteered many hours at the Edwin Shaw Challenge Golf Course. He took pleasure in leisure reading, fixing computers for family and friends, and spending time with his dog, Buster. He was a member of the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 900, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Louie is survived by his children, Stacy and Lisa Thomas, both of Akron, Dr. Ryan (Janice) Thomas of Cincinnati, and Lori (Robert) Carr of Mogadore; former wife, Barbara of Akron; and grandchildren, Alexis and Ashley Carr. The family will receive on Monday, March 1st, from 5 to 8 p.m., at the Anthony Funeral Home Kucko-Anthony-Kertesz Chapel, 1990 S. Main St. in Akron. Funeral services will be held Tuesday at the funeral home at 10 a.m. Interment with full military honors will follow at the Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery in Rittman, Ohio. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in memory of Louie F. Thomas, Jr. to the Edwin Shaw Challenge Golf Course (330-784-5400) or to the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial Fund (www.vvmf.org).