[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 6 (Monday, January 13, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E20]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING THE LIFE OF MR. BOBBY THOMAS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. RICHARD McCORMICK

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, January 13, 2025

  Mr. McCORMICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy 
of a true leader in the Forsyth County Community, Mr. Bobby Thomas.
  Mr. Thomas was born on November 3, 1946, and spent his youth in Coal 
Mountain, Georgia. Signs of future success were evident early on, as 
Mr. Thomas won ``Most Likely to Succeed'' during his senior year at 
Forsyth County High School. Upon graduation in 1964, Mr. Thomas went on 
to Georgia Institute of Technology, where he excelled, and earned his 
bachelor's degree in industrial engineering in 1969.
  During his time at Georgia Tech, Mr. Thomas met the love of his life, 
Brenda. They married three years later and enjoyed 57 years of wedded 
bliss together. Upon graduation, Mr. Thomas enlisted in the United 
States Navy and was commissioned as a supply officer, serving on a 
destroyer warship stationed out of Jacksonville, Florida and Glassboro, 
New Jersey. After returning home, he bought into the family lumber 
business, and by the mid-1980's he had turned the Thomas Lumber Company 
into the leading manufacturer of Western Red Cedar Products throughout 
the Southeast.
  The Thomas Lumber Company, founded in 1927, is the oldest family-
owned business in Forsyth County. As an active member in his community, 
Mr. Thomas was a founding member of the Forsyth County Rotary and later 
President, a 30-year member and leader of the Development Authority of 
Forsyth County, and maybe most importantly, an active member of Oak 
Grove Baptist Church, serving as a clerk and Sunday School teacher. 
Sadly, on January 6, 2025, Mr. Thomas passed away. He is survived by 
his wife, Brenda, two children, and 7 grandchildren. My prayers are 
with his family and friends during this difficult time. His impact on 
the lives of the people and community of Forsyth County will not soon 
be forgotten, and the entire community is mourning the loss of this 
great man.

                          ____________________