Brent Thomas
Carl Brent Thomas passed away the evening of July 25, 2012 in Kirkland, Washington after a long battle with cancer. He was preceded in death by his father, Herman Thomas, sister, Karen, and nephew, Brian. He is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 27 years, Sharyn Robbins; son, David Thomas (Julie); mother, Ada Whitted; sister, Lynn Thomas; brothers, Dennis and Winston Thomas; and half sister, Misty Cassidy (Kevin).
Brent and David
Born on July 20, 1952 in Ft. Worth, Texas, Brent was the oldest of five children born to Herman and Ada Thomas. While he was growing up, the family lived many places across the country, including Texas, Utah, New York, California, and Washington. His love of the outdoors was awakened then as the family camped, hunted, and fished frequently. During his teenage years, he attained the level of Eagle Scout. Perhaps his passion for travel and adventure started during that time of his life.
In 1970, he graduated from Tahoma High School in Maple Valley, Washington. Immediately following, he enrolled at Green River Community College. From there, he went to San Diego State University and then Western Washington University. His college years were interrupted by the draft. After serving in the Army from 1972 to 1974, with awards given for sharpshooting, he was honorably discharged and went on to enroll at the University of Washington to complete his education. Although he was fascinated all of his life with archaeology and would have preferred a degree in that discipline, his practical side intervened and he instead earned a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1981. He got his archaeological “fix” by traveling to Mexico, Greece, Turkey, and Egypt to explore the ruins in those countries. In between trips, he had a long career in the technology industry and worked for many companies as a software engineer. He was very intelligent and curious and never lost his zeal for learning and creating. He had high standards and thoroughly believed if you were going to do something, you should try your best to do it right.
Brent and Sharyn
Brent was friendly, kind, thoughtful, and deeply spiritual, which attracted many people to him. He had many friends and remained loyal to them throughout his life. He was a man of tradition and generosity and gave freely of his time and possessions. He valued his church, religious holidays, wedding anniversary, David’s birthday, “Give a Turkey a Break Day” (his own made-up Thanksgiving Day alternative), the annual childbirth class reunions when he always made homemade ice cream, and other special days throughout the year. Although mostly quiet and introspective, he had a great sense of humor and a hardy laugh.
Brent loved life and enjoyed many activities including gardening, cooking, reading, playing ping pong, attending concerts, and playing guitar with his buddies in jam sessions. He coached basketball, baseball and soccer teams, and always loved watching David play his many sports. Brent’s adventurous side came out in backpacking, camping, hiking, skiing, traveling, and playing in the tropical ocean that he enjoyed frequently. Always the optimist, he remained positive and hopeful and wanted others to feel that way as well. He always finished conversations and emails with the phrase “Have Fun”.
Brent was a devoted husband and father and will be sorely missed, but he leaves behind a legacy that will not be forgotten.