Don Thomas passed away on December 29. A funeral service and luncheon will be held here at the church tomorrow, Saturday, January 5. Don’s obituary is below.
Cards and notes of condolences may be sent to his partner, Joe Lombardo, at 907 Valley Road, Ambridge, PA 15003.
Donald L. Thomas passed away on December 29, 2018 at Heritage Valley Sewickley. Don was born April 13, 1949 in Girardville, PA, to Rev. Donald Thomas and Dorothy (Lewis) Thomas. Don was preceded in death by his father and is survived by his mother, Dorothy, of Boardman, OH, and sister, Carol (Kenneth) Doyle, and 3 greatly loved nephews and their families: Rev Nathan (Heather) Doyle of Boardman, OH, Stephen (Bethany) Doyle of Houston, PA, and Jonathan (Aimee) Doyle of Jacksonville, FL and 11 great nephews and nieces. Don greatly loved two surviving aunts and many cousins. He is also survived by his longtime partner, Joseph Lombardo, whose home he shared in Ambridge, PA.
Don graduated from Youngstown South High School in Youngstown, Ohio, and from a small religious college in Quincy, MA, with a major in Psychology and minor in Music Performance. Vocal music was a lifelong passion of Don’s with involvement in church music and musical theater. Don performed in many local theaters in the Cleveland, Ohio area, including at the Carousel Dinner Theater and the Cleveland Opera Theater. Don toured Eastern Europe with the Youngstown Symphony Chorus and Central America with the Primitive Methodist Church of America Teen Team. Don operated several retail flower businesses in Cleveland and specialized in large event decorating. Don recently retired from the Allegheny County Department of Human Services Area Agency on Aging where he worked as a training specialist. Don cherished his involvement and friends in two faith communities: Community House on Pittsburgh’s North Side and Sewickley United Methodist Church.
A service of joyous celebration of Don’s life will be held at the Sewickley United Methodist Church, located at 337 Broad Street, Sewickley, PA on Saturday, January 5, 2019 at 11 am, officiated by Rev. Russel Shuluga. Friends and family are welcome for visitation from 10 am until the start of the service. A funeral luncheon will follow the service.