John B. Thomas

John dedicated over 25 years to Davidson-Davie Community College, where he served as Dean of Learning Resources from 1973 to 1993 and as Dean of the Davie County satellite campus until his retirement in 1999. Throughout his career, he inspired students and colleagues alike with his deep intellect, unshakable integrity, and steadfast commitment to education. John was an insatiable reader and a lover of books, history, politics, and world affairs. He found joy in vegetable gardening, beekeeping, and road cycling, completing challenging rides along the Natchez Trace, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and across the state of North Carolina on two occasions. A lifelong fan of the St. Louis Cardinals, he could recite players’ names and stats from memory and never missed an opening day. He was a man of quiet passions, with a particular soft spot for German Shepherds and cats of every kind. He was never happier than when he had a book in hand and a cat in his lap.

He was a faithful member of New Philadelphia Moravian Church in Winston-Salem and held a strong interest in humanitarian causes, global politics, and cultural understanding. He fiercely defended the underdog, held deep respect for people of all religions and backgrounds, and believed wholeheartedly in equality and dignity for all.John was preceded in death by his mother, Sarah Blanche Parks Thomas; his father, Bertrum. Edmund Thomas; and his brothers, Hughey E. Thomas and A.P. Thomas.

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Peggy Weems Thomas; his son, Johnathan Matthew, Thomas (Kennette Ruth Lawrence Thomas); his daughter, Sarah Catherine Thomas Keane (Sean D. Keane); and his cherished granddaughter, Vivienne Parks Keane. John’s legacy lives on in the lives he touched, marked by wit, wisdom, humility, and heart. He will be remembered for his quiet strength, endless curiosity, and unwavering love for his family and the world around him.