Clarence Fenton Thomas, AKA “Bink” died on August 23, 2008 at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. He was 82 years old.
Clarence was born on November 29, 1925 in Wellington, Kansas. In 1929, when he was four years old, he moved with his parents and 4 brothers to Dos Palos, CA, where he attended elementary and high school. He graduated from Dos Palos High School in 1943. His family then moved to Modesto, CA. Shortly after his 18th birthday, he joined the Navy and served for three years during and after World War II.
After being discharged from the Navy in 1946, he worked for Standard Service Stations and at a sawmill in Cool, in the California foothills near Placerville. By 1949 he had moved back to Modesto, where he worked as a milk tester and was co-owner of a small dairy with his brother. In 1949, he met and married his wife, Mildred. They were married for 50 years until her death in 2000, and had four children together. Clarence worked as a herdsman on a dairy in Point Reyes Station for a few years in the mid 1950s until he got a job as a milk tester with the Dairy Herd Improvement Association in Greenfield, California in 1959. In 1971, he and his family moved to Gilroy, CA, where he lived until 2008. In Gilroy, he worked as an independent milk tester and did artificial insemination of dairy and beef cattle.
Clarence was first and foremost a family man. He devoted himself to his wife, his children and grandchildren. His great pride in his two great-grandchildren gave him much joy and happiness in the later years of his life. His large extended family of brothers, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews and cousins were always in his thoughts and sustained him through the last months of his life when he became disabled. His interests included bird watching, gardening, music, political discussion, and he was an avid sports fan.
Clarence had a stroke on New Year’s Day, 2008, which necessitated his move to a nursing facility and then an assisted living facility for rehabilitation therapy. Though he missed living in his home, he made close friendships in these facilities, which enriched his life, teaching him valuable lessons in his final months.
Clarence is survived by four children: Daniel Thomas of San Juan Bautista, CA, Debra Thomas of Marina, CA, Dennis Thomas of Lakewood, Colorado, and Darren Thomas (with wife Magi) of Huntsville, Alabama; four grandchildren: Ryan Thomas (with wife Amy) of Santa Rosa, CA, Jeffery Thomas of Colorado, Joshua Thomas of Nashville, Tennessee, and Summer Thomas of Hollister, CA. He is also survived by his two great-grandchildren, Jocelyn and Zachary Thomas of Santa Rosa, CA and his brothers, Darrell Thomas of Williams, CA and Gary Thomas of Turlock, CA.
A memorial service in celebration of Clarence’s life will be held on Saturday, October 4, at 10:00 A.M at the United Methodist Church, 7600 Church Street in Gilroy, CA. The family asks that friends and family make donations to the Salvation Army or the charity of their choice.
