1. I Funeral service will be 11:00 A.M. on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, at Ephesus Seventh Day Adventist Church.  Burial will follow in Calvary Memorial Cemetery.  Visitation is from 6:00 - 8:00 P.M. on Monday at the funeral home.
   
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Walter George Thomas , 84, passed away peacefully on Sunday, October 2, 2022. Walter who was affectionately known as "Chief" by his military brethren and "Lou" by his family and friends was born on January 16, 1938, to Annie Mae Barr and Andrew Thomas. Walter was raised in Wilmington, North Carolina and attended Williston Industrial School.  He later joined the US Navy where he honorably served for 22 years attaining the rank of Chief Petty Officer.  Walter served in a variety of locations during his military career and eventually retired in Jacksonville, North Carolina.  He truly lived life to the fullest through simple pleasures.  He was an avid sportsman enjoying fishing, boating and playing competitive softball.  Lou was known by his family and friends to be a sharp dresser and a connoisseur of fine automobiles; white was his color of preference.  Walter joined Ephesus Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1950 and was also an active member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars community.  He was married to Ruth Ann (Johnson) Thomas of Wilmington, North Carolina who preceded him in death.  In addition to his parents and his wife, Walter was preceded in death by his siblings: Edith Evans (Frank), Alfred Thomas,  (Esther Pearl), twins Otis Thomas and Estella Thatch (Lee), Sarah Beckett (Lewis), Ruth Sumlin (John) and twins Martha Moore (Harris) and Mary Johnson (Melvin).  Walter is survived by: his children, Gaynell (Terrence), Walter II (Katrina), and Paulette (Brent); grandchildren, LaTonya, Brittany, Walter III, Darien, Sydney, and Paul; great-granddaughters, Akira and Olivia and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins and friends.