Malcolm “Mike” Thomas, 66, passed away at Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas on Friday, August 23, 2019. He was born in Greenville, Texas to the parentage of Jimmie and Mae Frances Thomason Thomas on July 17, 1953. He received his formal education in the Greenville Independent School District, graduating from Greenville High School in 1971. While in high school he earned many athletic honors including the Rodney J. Kidd Award for outstanding high school football player in Texas in 1970.
After high school, Mike attended the University of Oklahoma for one year followed by three years at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. In 1975, he was drafted into the NFL by the Washington Redskins. He was named National Football Conference Rookie of the year in 1975 after rushing more than 900 yards with an additional 483 passing yards. After three years with the Redskins, Mike played his last two years of professional football with the San Diego Chargers. He worked in the oil business at Goldline Supply and Enron after his retirement from football.
Mike and his childhood sweetheart, Sylvia Ann Wilkerson, were united in holy matrimony in 1987. They established a blended family with their seven children and with Christ as the center.
Loved ones left to cherish his memory: wife, Sylvia Thomas; three sons, Spencer (Cynthia), Bryant and Brandon; three daughters, Katina, Danielle and Michael Marie; nine grandchildren, Farrin, Spencer II, Keyshawn, Adarian, Sophia, Aiyanna, Sterling, Chase and Caleb; a brother, Earl Thomas; two sisters, Cecelia Barr (Jim) and Glenda Venters (Charles); a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Mike was proceeded in death by his parents, Jimmy and Mae Frances Thomas; a son, Shawn Irving McGee; three brothers, Adolphus, Lamar and Jimmy Thomas, and grandparents, Will and Sally Thomas.
A memorial service was held at Windsor Village United Methodist Church, 6011 W. Orem Drive, Houston, Texas on Saturday, August 30, 2019 at 10:30 AM. A separate memorial service will be held at Bethlehem Baptist Church, 3809 Lee Street, Greenville, Texas on Friday, September 6, 2019 at 2:00 PM.
