David Thomas

David was born on June 22, 1934, in Highland Park, Michigan, to parents Raymond and Ida (Rosemergy) Thomas. He was raised in the Detroit area. He had various jobs when he was young including a runner on a milk truck, and a delivery boy for the Detroit Newspaper.

During high school he worked at a gas station and developed pictures for a photographer. He also had a passion for cars and after disassembling and rebuilding them, he and his friends would test the engines through the back roads of Rochester, Michigan.

As a child, Dave spent many summers with a large family at Central. Throughout his childhood and after high school he stayed in the area with family every chance he got. He loved the area so much that he ended up moving there, dedicating his adult life to preserving the Central Church and the vast history of the Keweenaw.

After high school he worked for Retail Credit Company where his investigations led to many interesting stories that he shared with family and friends.

He proudly entered the Coast Guard in 1955, following in the footsteps of several cousins. He served as a yeoman doing clerical and administrative duties on several ships during his four years of active duty. He entered the Reserves in 1959 and helped develop the reserve unit here in the Keweenaw. He had Yeoman duties and assignments as an executive petty officer of the unit and as officer in charge of the reserve unit. He received 13 awards over his Coast Guard career including a Coast Guard Commendation Medal and Coast Guard Achievement Medal. He loved every day of it and built many friendships while helping new recruits realize their dreams in the Coast Guard. He retired in 1994 as a master chief yeoman.

During his time on active duty, he met the love of his life on a blind date that was set up by his cousin Gerald’s girlfriend, who was in nursing school with Kathy Thomas. After a short period of dating they married on Oct. 4, 1958. They had two wonderful children and spent most of their 67 years of marriage in the Copper Country.

His family of four moved to Calumet in 1964, where he started a long career at Michigan Technological University. While at MTU, he completed a bachelor’s in liberal arts in 1974. He completed his master’s degree at the University of Michigan in 1976 after he became an assistant professor of library science. He was the head of technical services, an assistant librarian, and co-founder of the MTU Archives and Copper Country Historical Collections. He retired in 1993 after years of dedicated service and precious friendships.

He was passionate about his various memberships throughout the years because of his love of books and history. These include, Chair of the Michigan Library Association, Trustee of NOTIS, Michigan Alliance for the Preservation of Our Cultural Heritage, and the Upper Peninsula Region of Library Cooperation, Chair of the Preservation Roundtable, Michigan, Library Association, Director of Superiorland Library Cooperative, Member of the American Library Association, Michigan Library Association, Association of College and Research Libraries, Association for Library Collections and Technical Services, Michigan Historical Society, Houghton County Historical Society and John H. Forester Press, Trustee, Vice President and President of the Keweenaw County Historical Society, Member of the Michigan Archival Association, Secretary/Treasurer of the Central Mine M. E. Church, Inc. Trustee of the Fort Wilkins Natural History Association, Member of the U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officers Association, the North American Serials Interest Group, and Treasurer of the Calumet Public Schools Parent Teachers Organization.

He also received the honor of the Lauri Leskinen Award from the Keweenaw County Historical Society.

During his retirement years, Dave and Kathy spent many wonderful winters with family and friends in Lake Havasu City in Arizona. They also traveled to Alaska, Costa Rica, and Mexico. During his summers, he played a key role, along with many others in developing The Coast Guard Life Saving Station in Eagle Harbor. They have lived more than 20 years in Eagle Harbor and have had many friends and family visit them over the years. David loved the Copper Country, his home and family. His wish was to die at home, which God allowed him to do.

David is preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Ida.

He is survived by his wife, Kathleen; son, Raymond (Bonnie); daughter, Sharon (Thomas); four granddaughters, and six great grandchildren.

A visitation will be held for David on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, from 5-7 p.m. at the Erickson Crowley Peterson Funeral Home in Calumet, Michigan.

There will be a funeral service on Friday, Oct. 31, 2025, at 1 p.m. at the Erickson Crowley Peterson Funeral Home in Calumet, with George Newman to officiate. There will be a one-hour visitation at 12 p.m., prior to the funeral service.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Keweenaw Historical Society or the Central Mine Methodist Church in Dave’s honor.

Erickson-Crowley-Peterson is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences for the family can be left at www.ericksoncrowleypeterson.com.