James Maynard Thomas, 71, of Catlettsburg, KY, died on Thursday, February 20, 2020, surrounded by his loving family.
Born on January 18, 1949, in Ashland, KY, Maynard was the son of the late James Henry and Beatrice Brown Thomas, and grandson of the late Otha and Lillian Almetta Settles Brown and the late George Nelson and Ruth Williams Thomas.
Maynard grew up in Ashland, Alderson, WV, and New York, NY. He was baptized in the Catholic Church at Sacred Heart in New York.
As a strong father and family man, Maynard loved his family deeply and asked only of his children that they each do their very best in any undertaking, requiring the same of himself in all endeavors. Of their father, his children say he demonstrated commitment to his marriage and family, raising two sons to carry on the family name, and two daughters to be women of integrity and purpose. Maynard will be sadly missed by his family and many friends.
Those left to cherish Maynard’s memory include Mary, his devoted spouse of nearly 50 years; sister, Jamise Thomas of Lexington, KY; and children, Tina Thomas (Michael Crutcher) of Lexington, Mia Colleen Welch (Chad) of Dade City, FL, Corey Thomas (Rita) of Raceland, KY, and Marty Thomas (Wendy) of Greenup, KY. “Poppi” Thomas leaves behind grandchildren, Charles, Cassie, Stacie, Devin, Alex, Chasity, Kiyara, Whitney, Tyler, and Gabby; as well as great-grandchildren, Gabriel, Sophia, and Hudson.
Maynard’s family expresses a heartfelt thank you to all the prayer warriors who prayed for his healing. We know that God is merciful and all-knowing, and we believe that Maynard’s ultimate healing has occurred in Heaven for he has fought a good fight, has finished his course, and has kept the faith. (2 Timothy 4:7) We who remain here must re-dedicate our lives to the principles that Maynard so passionately embraced: family, responsibility, social justice, and just doing things the right way.
A celebration of Maynard’s life will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, February 29, 2020, at the First Christian Church in Ashland.
Maynard’s family encourages sharing memories of Maynard at www.steenfuneralhome.com.
Steen Funeral Home in Ashland is in charge of arrangements.
Obituary originally published in the February 24, 2020, edition of The West Virginia Daily News.
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