William Thomas

Bill Thomas, 74, died on September 28, 2012 at his home in Cathlamet. He passed peacefully in his favorite chair, surrounded by family, listening to the Ryder Cup.

Bill was born February 5, 1938 in Vancouver, Wash., to the late Eugene "Gene" and Nina Thomas. He graduated from Hudson's Bay High School in 1956 where he excelled in football and baseball. He went on to Clark College, enlisting in the Air National Guard, played baseball and went on to Portland State University.

Bill started working at a very young age, doing drywall with his father. In 1964 he and Arthur L. Murphy formed General Constructors, Inc. Over the years he formed three subsidiary companies being Builder's Material Trading and Holding, Universal Drywall, Inc. and Universal Construction, Inc. Bill and Art ran the business together until Art's death in 2007. Bill continued to run the business as president until his death.

Bill was the most unpretentious man you would ever know. His insight, knowledge and deep thinking will be missed by all who knew him.

In 1961, Bill married Bette Haugen and together they had three children who they raised in Vancouver. In the early years as a family, they enjoyed Anderson Island, the Portland Trailblazers, the annual clamming trip at the beach, annual Bend-Kah-nee-ta spring break trip and boating on his special boat The General, and steelhead fishing.

In 1997, he married Lynn Milligan and together they started to enjoy retirement. They resided in Cathlamet where they planned and created a garden home with the most incredible view of the Columbia River which was his pride and joy. In the winters, they spent several months at their condo in Palm Springs, Calif., enjoying golf, travels and all of their special friends.

Bill is survived by his wife Lynn Thomas of Cathlamet; sister Meryl Jean Berscheid of Vancouver; sons Brad Thomas of Vancouver and Brian (Stacy) Thomas of Woodland; daughter Jennifer (Randy) Ficco of Vancouver; step-daughter Shannon Milligan of Portland and eight grandchildren, Ellie, Bradley, Trevor, Austin, Jalil, Tyler, Torri and Aiyana.

Please join us in celebrating Bill's life on Saturday, October 27, 2012, at Messiah Lutheran Church, 905 NW 94th Street, Vancouver, WA 98685.

Memorial donations may be sent to Community Home Health & Hospice, PO Box 2067, Longview, WA 98632.

Please sign his guestbook at http://www.columbian.com/obits.