Ray D. Thomas, 96, of Tuscola, IL, passed away at 8:45 a.m., Wednesday, November 18, 2015 at his residence.

Funeral Services will be held at 11:30 a.m., Saturday, November 21, 2015 at the Hilligoss Shrader Funeral Home, Tuscola, IL. Visitation will be held 1 hour prior to the services at the funeral home. A Committal Service will be held at 11:00 a.m., Monday, November 23, 2015 at the Tuscola Township Cemetery with military graveside rites accorded.

Ray was born on January 5, 1919 outside of Olney, IL, the son of William Perry Thomas and Dessie Otto Scherer.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Dora M. Thomas, his daughter Sandra K. Ladd, and grandson Michael L. Ladd, as well as his parents, brothers Oral and Max Thomas, and sister Bernadine Wagy.
His legacy includes: children Ronald L. Gillette and his wife Carol of Oswego, IL, Karen E. Reed of Tuscola, and Jill S. Thomas of Raleigh, NC; 10 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; and 13 great-great-grandchildren (with twins on the way.)

Ray served with the U. S. Army in World War II in both the European and Pacific theaters, attaining a field commission to Second Lieutenant. After the war, he relocated to Springfield to work in the office of the Secretary of State, where he met his wife Dora. He spent the remainder of his career with Addressograph Multigraph International, from which he retired to Tuscola.

He remained a devoted Cardinal fan, despite being married to a die-hard Cub fan. Ray was a lifelong outdoorsman, spending many happy hours hunting and fishing, as commemorated in his scrapbook full of pictures of prized catches.

Memorials are suggested to the Wounded Warrior Project, PO Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675

Online condolences may be shared via hilligossshraderfh.com