Kenneth A. Thomas

Ken Thomas WEB
April 25, 1934 – Nov. 6, 2015

Kenneth A. Thomas passed away Nov. 6 as a result of complications from a stroke. He was 81 years old.

Ken was born April 25, 1934 in Los Angeles, the son of Britt and Florence Thomas. He is survived by his wife of 56 years Jackie; sister Suzanne; son Mark; daughter Lori; and five grandchildren.

Ken grew up in south Los Angeles. His family moved to Westchester when he was 10 years old. He graduated from Manual Arts High School in 1951. He also attended Harbor Junior College, where he developed an interest in the printing business. Ken served in the Army between 1954 and 1957, where he was stationed in Germany and worked for the Stars and Stripes newspaper. He resumed his career in the printing industry as a lithographer at G.R. Huttner Printing Company in Burbank.

In 1984, he started his own printing sales company, which he successfully ran until retiring in 2008. Two favorite clients included Magic Mountain and the LA Zoo.

Ken was a member of the La Crescenta Presbyterian Church, where he served as an elder and most recently led the Cornerstone Crew, which was responsible for beautifying and maintaining the gardens on church grounds. In addition to his dedication to the church and his love for gardening, Ken’s interests included a passion for all sports, including coaching his son’s basketball and baseball teams. He was a dedicated Chicago Cubs fan who cheered the team on during their latest playoff run.

He also enjoyed camping with his family and church friends.

He had a great sense of humor whose repertoire of one-liners was renown throughout the community. He loved to make people laugh. Ken was always encouraging to others and was a great inspiration to many as he kept active even after having one leg amputated five years ago.

A memorial service has been scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 5 at 2 p.m. at La Crescenta Presbyterian Church, 2902 Montrose Ave., Glendale/La Crescenta 91214.  All are welcome. The family asks that in lieu of flowers any contributions be made to the Cornerstone Crew at La Crescenta Presbyterian Church.