Jerrold Eugene "Squaly" Thomas

Jerrold Eugene “Squaly” Thomas, 92, of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, died February 19, 2015 in Rio Rancho. Memorial services will be at 10:30 AM Saturday, March 21, 2015, in Carmichael-Whatley Colonial Chapel with Randy Stalls officiating. A private burial was held at Mobeetie Cemetery. Arrangements are by Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors. Mr. Thomas, one of five children, was born October 1, 1922 in Blackwell, Oklahoma to Frank Elmer and Hazel Ennis Thomas. He was a 1941 graduate of Wellington High School in Wellington, Kansas. He was a veteran of the U. S. Navy, serving during World War II. Jerrold was aboard the USS Santee, one of four oil tankers converted into aircraft carriers. On October 25, 1944, during the battle of the Leyte Gulf, a Japanese plane made a suicide dive on the Santee, crashing through the flight deck and stopping on the hanger deck. This was the first ship to sustain a kamikaze attack; killing 16 men and wounding 24 others. Jerrold was awarded the Navy Cross for his part in saving lives on that date. After the war, Jerrold met and married Annie Jerline Keeton in Candian. They moved around the Texas Panhandle and Oklahoma where he worked in the oil and gas industry. In the early 1950’s, he went to work for Shamrock Oil & Gas, which later changed to Diamond Shamrock, and the family settled in Sunray. Jerrold and Annie moved to Spearman in 1967 where they owned and operated Thomas Cleaners. They moved to Pampa in 1976 where he was active in the First Christian Church and the VFW. In 2006, he moved to Rio Rancho, New Mexico and was active in the Buena Vista Apartment community. He was preceded in death by his wife, Annie Thomas; his parents; three brothers, Delbert, Elmo and J. C.; and a grandson, Dwight Thomas. Survivors include a son, Delbert Thomas and wife Jane of Guymon, Oklahoma; a daughter, Dianne Goode and husband Ken of Rio Rancho, New Mexico; four grandchildren, Abbey Reeve and husband Charlie of London, England, Alex Jones and wife Joanne of Anchorage, Alaska, Kate Garcia and husband Brent of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, and Drew Thomas of Wheeler; seven great-grandchildren, Patrick and Astrid Reeve, Miles and Graham Jones, Devin and Austin Garcia, and Kylie Thomas; and a sister, Phyllis Mosbey of Weslaco.