Gary R. Thomas - Obituary

n Monday, July 25, 2022, Gary Thomas, passed away at the age of 69 at his home in Tracy’s Landing, Maryland. Gary was born on July 19, 1953, in Washington, DC. He graduated as a member of the first graduating class of Hayfield Secondary School in 1971 and went on to take classes in commercial art and photography at the Northern Virginia Community College. On October 20, 1973, he married his loving wife, Pamela Jones, in Alexandria, VA where they lived until moving to their retirement home in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina in 2013. While living in Northern VA, Gary worked in the biomedical research field for 35 years, spending the last 20 years of his career at Bioqual Research Services, where he retired as a Research Project Manager. Gary had a passion for nature and enjoyed birdwatching and gardening. The yards surrounding his homes were known to have a vast array of plants, beautiful flowers, bonsai trees, water gardens, and an abundance of wildlife. Both VA and NC homes were accredited by the National Wildlife Federation as Certified Wildlife Habitats. In 2014, Gary became a certified Master Gardener and was an active member of the Dare County Master Gardener Association, rising to the rank of chapter Vice President. Gary spent countless hours volunteering in the gardens at the Dare Country Arboretum, located across the street from the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills. His gardening friends looked forward to their monthly meetings when Gary would bring loaves of his homemade bread to share. Gary combined his lifelong love of nature and his artistic talent with painting and photographing the outdoors. After moving to the Outer Banks, Gary began expanding his artistic talent into loom weaving rugs and tapestries at Endless Possibilities, a non-profit organization supporting the local community. His paintings and loom-weaving masterpieces can be found hanging in many of his friend’s and family’s homes. Gary’s fondness and knowledge for cooking were passed on to his sons Josh and Ian. Family gatherings often revolved around the three of them in the kitchen preparing dinner. His grandchildren, Ben and Maddy, have fond memories of summer trips to the beach and spending time with Gary in the garden. A fan of classic television, it was known to the family that the TV would always be tuned to shows like the Flintstones or The Andy Griffith Show if Gary was in the room. Gary was preceded in death by his father LeRoy, and his mother, Elaine. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Pam, two children Josh (Stefani), Ian (Christy), and brother, Paul (Shelia). He also left behind two grandchildren, Benjamin Witol and Madison Meeks, as well as many cousins, nieces, and nephews. A Celebration of Life gathering is planned for Gary in October 2022. In place of flowers, memorial contributions can be made out to Dare County Master Gardeners Volunteer Associations (memo: For Arboretum). N.C. Cooperative Extension office at 517 Budleigh Street, P.O. Box 968, Manteo, NC 27954 Online condolences may be made using the Memories tab on this page.