Michael “Mickey” Howard Thomas passed away on December 13, 2021, in Mesa, AZ at the age of 81. Born in Temple, TX on June 21, 1940, to Elmer Lee Thomas and Olga Faye Novosad, he was the second of four boys. In 1954, the family moved to Wellton, AZ where he attended Antelope Union High School. He played football and made the All-State and All-Conference teams his senior year.
He graduated high school in 1959 and joined the United States Navy as a Firefighter. He served from 1959 to 1962 assigned to the USS Brenner, DDR 807. After his service in the Navy, he returned to Wellton, AZ where he took employment with Eberline Ready-Mix. That began his long career in construction where he worked as a heavy machine operator at different construction companies in Arizona and Utah. In August of 1983, he went to work for Salt River Project at the Coronado Generating Station in St. Johns, AZ. He retired from Salt River Project in June of 1994 and moved to Yuma, AZ where he operated 24th Street Lube until retiring for good in 2001.
Mickey was a member of the Operating Engineers’ Union Local Number 428 and Arizona Laborers and Teamsters. He was also a member of Valley Baptist Church in Yuma, AZ and Primrose Baptist Church in Waco, TX.Mickey is preceded in death by his parents Elmer Lee and Olga Faye Thomas, younger brother Joseph Patrick Thomas and daughter Kimberly Ann Hahn.He is survived by his wife Madonna Reagan Thomas of Mesa, AZ, older brother Gerald Lee (Nancy) Thomas of Yuma, AZ, and younger brother Delmon Ray Thomas of Yuma, AZ. He is also survived by his children Terrie Faye Thomas of Camp Verde, AZ, Bobby Lee Thomas of Tucson, AZ, Leslie Jolene Sandsness of Show Low, AZ, and Michael Allen (Renae) Thomas of Queen Creek, AZ along with stepchildren Sandra (Adrian) Iglesias of Fresno, CA, and Tim (Katie) Watson of Keams Canyon, AZ. Finally, he leaves a legacy of many adoring grandchildren and great-grandchildren whom he loved very much.
Services will be held Sunday, February 20, 2022, at the First Southern Baptist Church in Wellton, AZ at 1:00 in the afternoon. Interment immediately following at the Wellton Memorial Cemetery.