Richard Thomas

1963 ~ 2012

Richard (Rick) John Thomas died May 7, 2012, in Kuna, Idaho. Rick was born July 27, 1963, in Butte to Dick and Deanna Kennedy Thomas.

He attended Kennedy grade school and North Central Junior High. He graduated from Butte Central in 1981 and then attended Montana Tech.

Rick joined the Air Force in June 1984 and later became a seven-level master technician. He was stationed in Germany, Montana, Alaska and Idaho. He deployed to the Middle East three times.

Rick left the Air Force in May 1995 and joined the Idaho Air National Guard in March 1996. He deployed to the Middle East two more times as well as to New Orleans to help in the Katrina disaster. He also deployed to United Arab Emirates in 2007.

He retired from the Idaho National Guard as a master sergeant on Nov. 1, 2009.

Rick married Patty Lynch of Great Falls in October 1986. They had two children, Brittni and Brian. On July, 21, 2007, he married Cindy Hines. They resided in Kuna, Idaho.

Rick worked for the United States Postal Service for 16 years in Idaho. He was currently employed at the Boise Post Office. He enjoyed camping, hunting, skiing, golf and time with his children, grandchildren and friends.

He is survived by his wife, Cindy; daughter and son-in-law, Brittni and Ben Rogers; son, Brian Thomas; and grandchildren Tristan and Wyatt Rogers of Mountain Home, Idaho. When he married Cindy, he added to his family a step daughter and son-in-law, Anitra and John Brede and their children, Madison and Trevor Brede of Kuna, Idaho.

His family includes brother-in-law Gerald (Evelyn) Hines; sister-in-law Virginia (Cecil) Dallman; niece Sheila Kilborn; and nephews Dion (Valerie) Kilborn, Robert Abundo, Jerald (Carley) Hines.

Others in his family include parents Dick and Deanna Thomas; sisters Julie (Jim) Downey and Diane (Skip) Arntson; brothers Tim (Jeanette) Thomas, Dan Thomas and Pat (Tawna) Thomas; aunts Vonnie Thomas, Kay (Marty) Mulcahy, and Joan (Roger) McKenna; uncles Ed (Maggie) Thomas, Jack (Willie) Thomas and Jim Kennedy; nieces Ashley (Zack) Lord, Ariel Thomas, Alaiya Arntson; and nephews Andy and Adam Arntson.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, May 11, 2012, in Boise, Idaho at Cloverdale Funeral Home at 10 a.m. with a reception to follow.

Memorial contributions may be made in Rick's name to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, The Idaho Division of Veteran Services or a charity of your choice.

A Funeral Mass will be held on Monday, May 14, 2012 at 11 a.m. in the Immaculate Conception Church in Butte. Friends and relatives may greet the family from 10 to 11 a.m. Burial will follow the liturgy at the Holy Cross Cemetery.

"Rick, I met you in the summer of 2002, your eyes were blue and your heart was huge. I love you and miss you sweetheart!!!"

-- Your wife, Cindy.

To share memories with the family, please visit Rick's memorial webpage online at www.cloverdalefuneralhome.com.