Robert Allen Thomas was born on November 11, 1940, in Kelly, NC to the late Jeanette Hawes and Allen Alfred Thomas. Bobby/Uncle Bobby/Reb/Mr. Bob/Papa Thomas, as he was fondly called by family, friends, and colleagues; was the oldest of four children. As a child, his parents relocated the family to Wilmington, NC where he graduated from Williston Senior High School in 1959. Robert then became a proud soaring eagle of the rolling hills of North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC; where he obtained a bachelor’s of science degree in Biology with a Chemistry minor in 1964, and a master’s degree in Microbiology in 1966.
During his college years, Robert worked at the Peg Leg Bates Country Club in the Catskill Mountains of New York. Peg Leg Bates was an entertainer and the first black resort owner in Ulster County, NY. Bates had enormous confidence in Robert and took him under his wing…Peg Leg truly believed that people could be anything they wanted to be, and his encouragement had a profound impact on Robert’s outlook on life.
Shortly after Robert began his career in the pharmaceutical industry at Becton Dickinson in the Research Triangle Park area, he obtained a position at Pfizer in Southport and relocated his family back to Wilmington a few years later. After about 16 years, he began working at Wyeth Vaccines in Sanford and retired after 10 years. Robert believed in sacrifice for his family. He supported his mother by sending money home while in college, commuting back and forth from Wilmington to Durham for three years, and to Sanford from Wilmington for an additional 10 years.
Robert became widely known as “Reb” for serving as the “moral compass” for his friends…always wanting to do “what’s right,” he became heavily involved in community service. To this end, he joined the Wilmington Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity in 1979, and subsequently became a Life Member. He was passionate about the fraternity, hosting meetings, and serving in leadership positions as secretary and president of the chapter for several years. He became a mentor to the undergraduate members and they formed a special bond, and has been described as the “heart and soul” of the chapter. He formed close family bonds with the younger members – inviting them into his home, family, and heart.
Robert also became a member of The Townsmen and served as treasurer for the Les Gents Social Club. He also volunteered with Meals on Wheels for 10 years during and after his involvement in the local chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. with his wife, who was an active and life member. As a couple, they both served the local community in a variety of functions, even as a “celebrity escort” for the Azalea Festival Committee and working with Habitat for Humanity. Because of his high visibility in the community, people frequently called upon him for assistance for a variety of tasks.
Robert had a variety of interests that included travelling with his wife and their close circle of friends, whether to foreign destinations or to one of many NCCU Homecomings as a proud Golden Eagle. You could also find Robert watching ESPN and of course, cheering for his beloved Dallas Cowboys. He also believed in being well-informed, and was an avid viewer of cable news programs and talk-radio listener.
Above all, Robert was a firm believer in life-long education and truly believed it was the key to success. After retiring from the corporate world, he began teaching biological, physical, and earth science at the Shaw University C.A.P.E. program and Adult High School program at Cape Fear Community College in downtown Wilmington.
As a child, Robert attended Pleasant Hill Baptist Church of Kelly, NC, and joined the congregation of St. Luke AME Zion church as an adult. Robert Allen Thomas completed his transition from a life of labor to eternal rest on June 25, 2015; while in the care of the Lower Cape Fear Hospice Center in Wilmington, North Carolina. He is preceded in death by his wife of 50 years, Glancy Price Thomas, and his parents.
Those left to cherish his memory and legacy are his daughters Tonja Thomas-Goldring of Clinton, MD and Tasha B. Thomas of Wilmington, NC; and his beloved grandson Ruben C. Gallashaw of Wilmington, NC. Also, those left surviving are: his adoring sisters Patricia T. Brown, Delores T. King, and Francene T. Bell, all of Wilmington, NC; brothers-in-Law Alfred “Son” Price (Mavis) and the Honorable Charles Price (Bernice), both of Montgomery, AL; a host of nieces, nephews, fraternity brothers, classmates, colleagues, close friends; and special “Angels of Mercy” Alease Riley of Durham, NC; Alvin and Vera Johnson of Sandy Springs, GA; Bertha Henry, Faye and Henry Jacobs, Veronica and Carl Brown, all of Wilmington, NC; and Charles and G. Ann Garrett of Whiteville, NC.