In Memory Of
Robert D. Thoms
1919
2014
Robert D. Thoms
April 17, 1919 — September 17, 2014
Robert Dunton Nason Thoms, 95, of Topeka, passed away Wednesday, September 17, 2014.
Robert was born April 17, 1919, at Lyons (Clinton), Iowa. He was the son of Leona Jackson Thoms and stepson of Arthur Thoms. Robert was the oldest of seven children.
He was an outstanding athlete in track, basketball and football. Robert was the class president & class clown. He played amateur baseball until enlisting in the US Army Air Corps in WWII.
Robert served as a first lieutenant flying B-17, AT-10, and PT-51 airplanes. He served most of his time in Oklahoma and Texas.
Robert married Aileen Rigg in Kansas City; and they had two children, Susan Thoms Cotton and Douglas Robert Thoms.
He spent some time in Kansas City as a golf assistant at Indian Hills Country Club. Robert later worked for Hicks-Ashby School Supply, and then spent 30 years as a District Manager for the W.A. Baum Company selling medical equipment to medical supply companies and hospitals.
He later married Lou Ann Clintsman of Topeka.
Robert is survived by his wife of 28 years; his two children, Susan Cotton of Bolingbrook, IL, and Douglas Thoms of Armstrong, MO; brothers, Richard (Jane) Thoms, Gary (Lynn) Thoms, of Clinton, IA, Donald Thoms of Sun City, CA, James William (Marlene) Thoms of Greenwood, MO; grandchildren, Cris (Marianne) Cotton of Bolingbrook, IL, and Brett (Melissa) Thoms of Topeka; five great-grandchildren; two step-children, Lori (Derek) Wiles of Olathe, KS, and Bryan Clintsman of South Lake, TX; and five step-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Jackson Thoms; and sister, Betty Kratz.
Bob was chosen to be on the Honor Flight to the Washington DC World War II Memorial, accompanied by his sponsoring brother, Bill Thoms on November 11, 2014. He will be honored on that flight for his service in the U.S. Army Air Corps.
Visitation will be held from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. on Friday, at Penwell-Gabel Mid-Town Chapel, Topeka.
Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, September 20, 2014, at Penwell-Gabel Mid-Town Chapel, Topeka. Cremation will follow the service and inurnment will be at a later date at Clinton Lawn Memorial Cemetery, Clinton, IA.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to Community Living Center, Colmery-O'Neil Veterans Medical Center, 2200 SW Gage Boulevard, Topeka, KS 66622, or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 920 Main Street, Suite 280, Kansas City, MO 64105.
To leave the family a special message for the family, visit the guestbook below.
Robert was born April 17, 1919, at Lyons (Clinton), Iowa. He was the son of Leona Jackson Thoms and stepson of Arthur Thoms. Robert was the oldest of seven children.
He was an outstanding athlete in track, basketball and football. Robert was the class president & class clown. He played amateur baseball until enlisting in the US Army Air Corps in WWII.
Robert served as a first lieutenant flying B-17, AT-10, and PT-51 airplanes. He served most of his time in Oklahoma and Texas.
Robert married Aileen Rigg in Kansas City; and they had two children, Susan Thoms Cotton and Douglas Robert Thoms.
He spent some time in Kansas City as a golf assistant at Indian Hills Country Club. Robert later worked for Hicks-Ashby School Supply, and then spent 30 years as a District Manager for the W.A. Baum Company selling medical equipment to medical supply companies and hospitals.
He later married Lou Ann Clintsman of Topeka.
Robert is survived by his wife of 28 years; his two children, Susan Cotton of Bolingbrook, IL, and Douglas Thoms of Armstrong, MO; brothers, Richard (Jane) Thoms, Gary (Lynn) Thoms, of Clinton, IA, Donald Thoms of Sun City, CA, James William (Marlene) Thoms of Greenwood, MO; grandchildren, Cris (Marianne) Cotton of Bolingbrook, IL, and Brett (Melissa) Thoms of Topeka; five great-grandchildren; two step-children, Lori (Derek) Wiles of Olathe, KS, and Bryan Clintsman of South Lake, TX; and five step-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Jackson Thoms; and sister, Betty Kratz.
Bob was chosen to be on the Honor Flight to the Washington DC World War II Memorial, accompanied by his sponsoring brother, Bill Thoms on November 11, 2014. He will be honored on that flight for his service in the U.S. Army Air Corps.
Visitation will be held from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. on Friday, at Penwell-Gabel Mid-Town Chapel, Topeka.
Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, September 20, 2014, at Penwell-Gabel Mid-Town Chapel, Topeka. Cremation will follow the service and inurnment will be at a later date at Clinton Lawn Memorial Cemetery, Clinton, IA.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to Community Living Center, Colmery-O'Neil Veterans Medical Center, 2200 SW Gage Boulevard, Topeka, KS 66622, or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 920 Main Street, Suite 280, Kansas City, MO 64105.
To leave the family a special message for the family, visit the guestbook below.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Robert D. Thoms, please visit our flower store.
Service Schedule
Past Services
Visitation
Friday, September 19, 2014
6:00 - 8:00 pm (Central time)
Penwell-Gabel - Mid-Town Chapel
Service
Saturday, September 20, 2014
Starts at 10:00 am (Central time)
Penwell-Gabel - Mid-Town Chapel
Guestbook
Visits: 1
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