Donnie Gale Thomas was born March 24, 1931, on the family cotton farm in Washita County, Oklahoma, the son of Bures and Arthenia Thomas. He grew up in Canute, Oklahoma, graduated from Canute High School and farmed cotton prior to enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1951. He spent his Navy service during the Korean conflict and was honorably discharged in March of 1955. In the fall of 1955, Donnie enrolled in the University of Oklahoma and graduated in 1959 with a degree in Electrical Engineering.

Donnie was employed in the Defense Activities division of Western Electric, working with guidance systems for Air Force missile sites. He was transferred to Winson-Salem, North Carolina, in 1964 where he met Carolyn. They were married on May 1, 1965, at Christ Lutheran Church, Winston-Salem. In June 1971, Donnie graduated from Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with a Master’s Degree in Metallurgy and Materials Science. Upon graduation he transferred to AT&T, and moved the family to Broomfield, Colorado, retiring in 1988.

Donnie claimed the promise of his baptism on Tuesday, December 3, 2024. He was preceded in death by his parents and three siblings. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn; daughter Kim Thomas; grandchildren Jordan Noble and Maggie Noble; and many nieces and nephews.

An avid bowler, Donnie bowled in both men’s and mixed leagues, sometimes three evenings per week. Because of good eye-hand coordination, he was a pretty decent nine-hole golfer and great at horseshoes. Donnie enjoyed deer and elk hunting with his coworkers from AT&T, usually returning home with the same bullet he carried in his supplies. A happy thirty years of summer enjoyment were spent at the cabin in Gilpin County. Donnie and Carolyn enjoyed many ocean cruises to Alaska, Hawaii, the east coast and Canada, and several trips to Europe.

A Liturgy of Resurrection for Donnie will be held on Friday, December 20, at 11:00am at Lutheran Church of Hope, with inurnment in the Lutheran Church of Hope Columbarium. The liturgy will be webcasted live and archived for later viewings at www.lchope.org/watch. In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to the Organ Fund/Building Fund of Lutheran Church of Hope, 1305 W. 10th Avenue, Broomfield, CO 80020.