L.E. "Tommy" Thomas
A farm boy from upstate New York, Thomas joined the U.S. Marine Corps on his 17th birthday. Serving as a gunner in the Pacific Campaigns of WWII, he was awarded five Air Medals and received the Purple Heart.
Following the war, the New York native moved to Birmingham, Alabama, where he began his long career in the automobile business. He became a dealer at the age of 26 and when he retired, owned and operated five dealerships in Alabama and Florida.
He served on the National Board of Directors for the Salvation Army. Thomas established the "Tommy" Thomas Family Services Center in Panama City. He was a 33rd Degree Mason, a Paul Harris fellow, and a member of numerous civic and community organizations. Thomas is widely known for his work in the Methodist Church and served on many state boards including the Methodist Children's Home. One of his last contributions was the Mathison Retirement Center, dedicated September 1996, which continues to serve our community.
After moving to Florida in 1965, he was elected Florida Republican Party Chairman from 1970-1974. He was the only living American to have cast Electoral College votes for four different Presidential candidates.
Thomas died in Panama City, Florida at the age of 71 and was buried with full military honors and Masonic rites. One of his favorite sayings was, "You'd better stand for something ...or you'll fall for anything."
