John Elias Thomas Sr.

John Elias Thomas, Sr., age 92, of Carrboro, NC passed away on November 16, 2020. Funeral services will be held graveside at Westwood Cemetery in Carrboro on Friday November 20 at 2pm. The son of the late Hale Thomas, Sr. and Myrtle Leeper Thomas, he was born in Asheville, NC. He graduated from Church Hill High School and East Tennessee State University. He also attended Carson-Newman College. He was an accountant at the Kingsport Press for 18 years prior to moving to Bristol as Business Manager for King College. He retired as a budget accountant for schools in the Division of Health Affairs at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. John was known for his kindness and willingness to help others. He was active in his church throughout his life. He helped with Boy Scouts for many years and volunteered at the Burn Center in Chapel Hill. He was dedicated to his family and their happiness. He is survived by four children: John Thomas, Jr., Mary Ann Ryan (Ed), Ellen Ellis, and Eugene Thomas (Leisa) and four grandchildren (Stacey, William, Haley, Cory). He is also survived by sisters Virginia Neelends and Carolyn Culbertson. He was predeceased by his wife Ruth Dodson Thomas, and brothers Hale Thomas, Jr. and Joseph Thomas and sisters Frances Sayer and Nancy McCoy. Walkers Funeral Home in Chapel Hill is assisting the family.