William S. Thomas

William S. (Bill) Thomas passed away on Thursday, November 23, 2017 in Houston, Texas.  A memorial service will held at 1:00 pm on Friday, December 8, 2017 at The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road.  Pastor Kevin Ward will officiate.  Private burial of cremains will follow in Elmwood Memorial Park.

William S. (Bill) Thomas was born in Borger, TX on October 11, 1935 to Rev. John A. & Ima May Thomas. He was the youngest of 6 children -- two of whom died in early childhood. In 1947 the family moved to Lubbock when his dad became District Superintendent of the West Texas District of the Assemblies of God.

He attended Lubbock High School and played on the varsity basketball team as a junior and senior and later graduated from Texas Tech University with a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture.

Bill was pastoring a small church when he married Sybil Goode on November 19, 1961. The following August they had a daughter, Drenda. He was ordained as a minister with the Assemblies of God at District Council in Midland, TX in 1963.

Bill loved playing golf and riding horses and raised his daughter to have the same loves.

To make ends meet while pastoring small churches, Bill worked as a carpenter and was a very good cabinet maker.

He became District Youth Director for West Texas in the late 1960’s where he spent summers working the kids and youth camps in Roaring Springs, TX.

In the early 1970’s he became pastor of University Assembly of God in Lubbock, TX where he pastored until 1977. Later that year, he was elected pastor of 1st Assembly of God in Abilene, TX and pastored there for 19 years.

He pastored one more church, Bullard First A/G, before retiring from senior pastoring in 2000. Afterwards, he was a visitation pastor for The Worship Center in Houston, TX, for two years and worked for Kroger grocery stores for several years before retiring.

Bill drove the van for the Jesus Loves Dancers team until he could no longer drive. He continued volunteering with this ministry until his death.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his sisters Yola Sullivan and Lenora Ward, and his brother Jack Thomas.

He is survived by his wife, Sybil (Goode), daughter Drenda and her husband Wesley Richards; niece, Danielle Nabonzy (Tom), Hayward, CA; brother-in-law Gary Goode (Glenda) and sister-in-law Sharon Fagan (Jimmy) both of Levelland, TX; step-granddaughter Brittany Payne (Matt), step-great granddaughter Madelyn Jo (Mady) Payne, Victoria, TX; and numerous nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that charitable donations be made to Piercing the Darkness Ministries (better known as Jesus Loves Dancers) via www.ptdministries.com  or www.jesuslovesdancers.com or to Teen Challenge of North Texas.