Obituary of Bill Thomas Jr.

Bill Thomas Jr., 73, of Florence, KY, passed away on Saturday, July 15, 2023, at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Edgewood, KY. The son of the late Bill Thomas Sr. and Willie Jean {Gambrell} Thomas, Bill was born in Corbin, KY on April 15, 1950. He married the love of his life, Brenda {Speagle} on June 26, 1971. He was employed as a Signal Inspector with CSX for over 34 years.

Bill was a former member of Amity Baptist Church in Independence as well as Immanuel Baptist in Corbin. He was a Mason at Lodge #746 in Latonia and was a Shriner with Oleika Shriners Temple in Lexington. He and his beloved wife, Brenda, resided in Corbin for 40 years before making the move back to Florence in 2020. Bill was a master of all sports including football, bowling, softball, tennis, swimming, track, and even coached his church’s softball team. He loved riding horses and going fishing. He was known as the most amazing Santa Claus as he would proudly dress up during the holidays for various elementary schools. In his spare time, you would find Bill listening to his favorite artist, Willie Nelson.

He will be deeply missed by his wife of 52 years, Brenda Thomas; daughter Wendy (Adam) Ray; sister Linda (Donald) Noell; brother Michael (Lecreta) Thomas; stepsister Amanda Yntema; and many nieces, nephews, and other relatives who will forever cherish his memory.

In addition to his parents, Bill was preceded in death by his stepmother, Louise Thomas, and stepbrother Mike Stone.

A Gathering of Friends & Family in celebration of Bill's life will be held at Hickory Grove Baptist Church in the Family Life Center from 3PM to 6PM on Sunday, August 6th. Memorial donations may be made to the American Stroke Association at www.stroke.org. To share a memory or leave a condolence to the family, please visit the corresponding tabs on this page.