Kelly Reese Thomas March 14, 1947 November 13, 2015 "A Diamond in the Rough" - that's often how Kelly had been described by those who really knew and loved him. Underneath the rough edges was a heart solid and true. He was a man who could always be counted upon, and one always knew where they stood with him.Kelly was a 4th generation Nevadan and very proud of his local ancestral history, in Virginia City and Reno. As with many children of his generation, he was stricken with polio at the age of 5 years, and after an emergency tracheotomy, he spent several months in an iron lung. With his stoic nature, he was a favorite among the nurses and he came through the painful experience.Kelly attended schools in Reno, starting with Mary S. Doten, St. Thomas Aquinas and Central Jr. High. He graduated from Reno High, and retained the many friendships he made along the way, throughout his life. He participated in different sports, and his tall frame gave him an edge in basketball in particular.As a teen, Kelly's real love though, was for the old cars of the 50's and 60's. He could always manage to breathe life into what appeared to be a lost cause. His love of music ran very deep in his soul and as with many of us, it tapped into the sensitive side of his otherwise tough exterior.Kelly served in the U.S. Army for 3 years, and completed two tours as a door gunner on the "Huey" gunships (helicopters) in Viet Nam. Although he was considering a third tour, we're so grateful that he decided, at the last minute, to come back to his hometown and establish himself here with us.Kelly was hired on at the U.S. Post Office, and worked as a mail carrier before retiring in 2002 with 32 years of service. He is still fondly remembered by many of his customers who he made lifelong friends with on his mail route.Kelly's talents were varied, and every home he owned, ended up as a showplace after he began to work and improve on it. His great friends shared many a beer with him as they worked alongside him on his home projects.He had such a wide circle of friends of all ages, and as one friend put it, "he was the one that kept us all in touch with each other."His niece, in a poem that she wrote about him, referred to Kelly as a Lone Ranger. He was a presence in our lives that made us feel safer in his company, while he stood silently nearby at times. We will miss him always, and especially at family holiday dinners, where his nieces in particular could tap into his funny bone. We all laughed louder when Kelly laughed with us. We all have favorite "Kelly Stories" to share and we hope they'll go on being told through the years.Kelly is survived by his brother, Kris Thomas (Liz Thomas); sister, Karen Fuller; nieces, Mikola Fuller, Devon McCarthy (Jim) and Grace Thomas; and newly arrived grand-nephew, William Reese McCarthy.We will be having a service for Kelly at Walton's Funeral Home, West 2nd and Vine Streets in Reno, on Thursday, December 10th at 2 PM. There will be a celebration of life following the service, at a location to be announced at the memorial. In honor of his life, please remember Kelly with a donation in his memory to a cause of your choice that honors or supports veterans.
Bruce Templeton
Kelly Reese Thomas March 14, 1947 November 13, 2015 "A Diamond in the Rough" - that's often how Kelly had been described by those who really knew and loved him. Underneath the rough edges was a heart solid and true. He was a man who could always be counted upon, and one always knew where they stood with him.Kelly was a 4th generation Nevadan and very proud of his local ancestral history, in Virginia City and Reno. As with many children of his generation, he was stricken with polio at the age of 5 years, and after an emergency tracheotomy, he spent several months in an iron lung. With his stoic nature, he was a favorite among the nurses and he came through the painful experience.Kelly attended schools in Reno, starting with Mary S. Doten, St. Thomas Aquinas and Central Jr. High. He graduated from Reno High, and retained the many friendships he made along the way, throughout his life. He participated in different sports, and his tall frame gave him an edge in basketball in particular.As a teen, Kelly's real love though, was for the old cars of the 50's and 60's. He could always manage to breathe life into what appeared to be a lost cause. His love of music ran very deep in his soul and as with many of us, it tapped into the sensitive side of his otherwise tough exterior.Kelly served in the U.S. Army for 3 years, and completed two tours as a door gunner on the "Huey" gunships (helicopters) in Viet Nam. Although he was considering a third tour, we're so grateful that he decided, at the last minute, to come back to his hometown and establish himself here with us.Kelly was hired on at the U.S. Post Office, and worked as a mail carrier before retiring in 2002 with 32 years of service. He is still fondly remembered by many of his customers who he made lifelong friends with on his mail route.Kelly's talents were varied, and every home he owned, ended up as a showplace after he began to work and improve on it. His great friends shared many a beer with him as they worked alongside him on his home projects.He had such a wide circle of friends of all ages, and as one friend put it, "he was the one that kept us all in touch with each other."His niece, in a poem that she wrote about him, referred to Kelly as a Lone Ranger. He was a presence in our lives that made us feel safer in his company, while he stood silently nearby at times. We will miss him always, and especially at family holiday dinners, where his nieces in particular could tap into his funny bone. We all laughed louder when Kelly laughed with us. We all have favorite "Kelly Stories" to share and we hope they'll go on being told through the years.Kelly is survived by his brother, Kris Thomas (Liz Thomas); sister, Karen Fuller; nieces, Mikola Fuller, Devon McCarthy (Jim) and Grace Thomas; and newly arrived grand-nephew, William Reese McCarthy.We will be having a service for Kelly at Walton's Funeral Home, West 2nd and Vine Streets in Reno, on Thursday, December 10th at 2 PM. There will be a celebration of life following the service, at a location to be announced at the memorial. In honor of his life, please remember Kelly with a donation in his memory to a cause of your choice that honors or supports veterans.