Lt. Col Stover Blair Thomas' Obituary
Retired LtC Stover Blair Thomas, aged 90, died in his sleep of natural causes on January 7th, 2021. Born on April 18, 1930 to Stover and Grace Loftis Thomas in South Boston, Virginia, he entered the United States Air Force after Graduating from VMI in 1952.
In 1954 he married Shirley Ann Parker, at the First Methodist Church in Pasadena, TX. For 22 years they lived the military lifestyle stationed at Air Bases throughout the US and overseas. As a navigator he flew missions with the Strategic Air Command aboard the B36 and B47 airplanes. Along with his other servicemen they helped bring an end to the Cold War. It was after excelling during the Cuban Missile Crisis that he was awarded the Air Medal for Meritorious Achievement in Aerial Flight in 1965.
In 1966 he received his MBA from SMU.
Returning to the Air Force, he spent four years testing armament and field equipment for the Vietnam War at Eglin Air Base in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. In 1970 he was stationed for two years to the Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. There he flew the C130 airplane and headed up the navigational department assisting in medical evacuations from Cameron Bay, South Vietnam. In 1972, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
In 1974, he and his family returned to Texas, retiring to Richardson. He retired a second time in 1985 after working as a district manager for Jack in the Box. In his remaining years, he and Shirley enjoyed traveling extensively to many US and Canadian cities. Surviving family members include his spouse Shirley Thomas, his daughter and son-in-law, Deborah & Jeff Stephens, son Steven Thomas, and grandson, Hunter Stephens.
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