Nolan Arthur Thomas

On September 17, 2023, Nolan Arthur Thomas, passed from this life and joined his heavenly Father in heaven.  With his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren surrounding him, Nolan was blessed to be at his home during his final moments, in his bed, which his grandson, Nash, designed and built for him.

Nolan was the son of the late Charles “Artie” and Mary Eleanor (Bowermaster) Thomas. In addition to his parents, he was proceeded in death by his beautiful wife of 58 years, Audra Faye (Livengood) Thomas, who preceded him in death on June 2, 2017. He is survived by his twin sister, Nola and spouse Willis May, and sister Janet and late husband Glenn Ringer.

Nolan was born on October 3rd, 1936, in his family home, known today as the Bruceton Mills Town Hall. He was a 1954 graduate of Bruceton High School and went on to work for Chem Metals for the duration of his career.  He also served with Kamp Ambulance and worked as a painter, doing odd jobs for his community. He was a member of the Kingwood Baptist Church where he served a variety of roles. Nolan was also a member of the Preston Lodge #90 A.F. & A.M., the Morgantown Shrine Club, and Mountaineer Patrol.  Following retirement, Nolan was often seen within his community, volunteering his time and energy with the Kingwood Fire Department, cooking sausage and serving buckwheat cakes at the Preston County Buckwheat Festival and monthly fireman’s breakfast. Nolan’s willingness to help and serve the youth programs of Kingwood was unwavering. Nolan supported his grandchildren’s youth league and school sports teams by weed-eating and mowing baseball fields, football fields, and cross- country courses.  He was also seen helping his son, Kevin, cater and cook meat at local family and community picnics/events. Some of Nolan’s greatest memories were at camp, where he helped host the annual corn roast, hunting season get-togethers, and family weddings and reunions.

Nolan’s legacy lives on through his children and their spouses, Kevin and Kristin Thomas, Michelle and Ron Hamric, and Beth Ann and Shawn Barger. Nolan played an ever-present and supportive role in the lives of his 6 grandchildren, Kelsey and Eric Clark, Karly and Nathan Pritts, Jordan Hamric, Kaylan and Tim Dalton, Makena Thomas, and Nash and Kristen Thomas. Nolan was blessed with 9 great- grandchildren who were the apples of his eye, 7 “buckshot’s” and 2 “angels”, Lane, Heath, Hadley, Finley, Mack, Nolan, Wesley, Ridge, and Jett.

In a world with dwindling attention to family roles and values, Nolan and Faye were committed to keeping their family present in each other’s lives, as well as maintaining their Christian faith as their solid foundation. Through monthly dinners, summer cookouts, birthday parties, and the annual buckwheat cake dinner on Wednesday of the Buckwheat Festival, Nolan and Faye showed their loved ones what devotion, tradition, and forgiveness should look like in a family. Nolan had the many talents of his generation. He taught his grandchildren the art of woodworking, canning and preserving food, hunting, and the importance of community. He was well known for his one liners, ornery jokes, “the bug,” and couldn’t spell worth a darn. However, Grandpa Nolan would call anyone out for ending a sentence with a preposition every single time. He taught his grandchildren that you can’t say you don’t like something if you’ve never tried it, that Wild Turkey is not actually cough syrup, to not take any wooden nickels, and to think twice before pulling someone’s finger. Nolan was the perfect combination of ornery and sweet.  Birthday cards were always a signed paper napkin and yearly birthday gifts consisted of a bagged peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  Family dinners and Christmas celebrations in grandpa’s basement were the most anticipated and cherished events of the year, and for that matter, will be extremely missed. And no one on earth could pull off cowboy boots, jeans, and a jean jacket like Nolan Thomas and no one could clean up as nice as Nolan Thomas at Christmas Eve dinner.

Life without Nolan will simply not be the same. His smile, his character, and his compassion for community and family will live on through those he loved most. He always said that it’ll feel better when it quits hurting so bad, but this hurt is going to take a while.

Friends may call at Kingwood Funeral Home, 295 S. Price Street, Kingwood, on Wednesday, September 20th from 2-7 pm, and Thursday, September 21st from 10am until the funeral hour at 11 am, with Reverend Kevin Sions officiating. Interment will follow at Shady Grove Cemetery, Bruceton Mills, WV. Masonic graveside rites will be accorded by the Preston Lodge #90 A.F. & A. M.

In Lieu of flowers memorials donations can be made to: the Shriners Children's Hospital, at https://donate.lovetotherescue.org or 1645 W 8th St, Erie, PA 16505.

Nolan’s family wishes to express their sincere gratitude and love to Kayla Teets for devoting her time, care, and attention to Nolan and his family. They also extend their gratitude to Dr. Mike Schwarzenberg, Camille Western, and Amedisys Hospice Care.

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