Michael Charles Thomas, of Niles
Jan. 19, 1947-Nov. 8, 2017
Niles Daily Star, Published 9:18 am Monday, November 13, 2017
Michael Charles Thomas, 70, of Niles, died unexpectedly on Wednesday morning, Nov. 8, 2017, while completing some repair work at his mother’s house in Niles.
He was born on Jan. 19, 1947, in Cleveland, Ohio, to Charles and Doris Marion (Stoerkel) Thomas. He was graduated from Niles High School in 1965, and attended Southwestern Michigan College.
- Michael Thomas
He served in the United States Marine Corps, and was honorably discharged as a veteran of the Vietnam-era.
He was a member of the Sheet Metal Workers International Association laborer’s union local #20 in South Bend, and had been employed in a variety of area shops.
Mike was a founding member of Saint Boniface Evangelical Lutheran Church in Niles. He was a great cook with specialties that included Chop Suey and potato pancakes. He was also a talented amateur photographer, enjoyed reading, especially history and politics, and loved animals.
He was first married on March 15, 1974, to the former Susan Ann Hirsch, with whom he celebrated 23 years of marriage prior to her death on March 26, 1996. He was also preceded in death by his father, Charles Thomas, on July 24, 1963; his mother, Doris M. Hartman, on August 1, 2013; and his step-father, Sgt. Maj. James Hartman, USMC, Retired, on Sept. 1, 2003.
On June 16, 2001, in Niles, he married the former Linda Suzan Zink, with whom he celebrated the 16th anniversary of their marriage earlier this year.
Surviving family includes his wife, Linda Thomas; and his daughters, Cassandra (David Head) Thomas of Niles and Melissa Sue Thomas of South Bend, Indiana.
The funeral service for Michael Thomas will be at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017, at the Halbritter-Wickens Funeral Home in Niles, with the Rev. John Rutowicz, of Saint Boniface Evangelical Lutheran Church, officiating. Committal services will follow at Silverbrook Cemetery in Niles and will conclude with full military honors by the United States Marine Corps Honor Guard and American Legion Post #51 of Buchanan, Michigan.
The family will receive relatives and friends on Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. Online condolences may be left at halbritterwickens.com.