Pinklon "Big Boy" "Phil" "Bossman" Thomas Sr.

THOMAS, Mr. Pinklon Sr., "Big Boy" "Phil" "Bossman" - Age 100, passed away Tuesday December 23, 2014 at St. Joseph Mercy Oakland Hospital. Family hour 10:00AM Tuesday December 30, 2014 at Franklin Road Church of Christ, 1400 Franklin Road. Brother Kevin Williams, officiating. Interment Perry Mount Park Cemetery, 878 N. Perry St. Friends and pallbearers will assemble at the church 10AM Tuesday. Mr. Thomas will lie in state in the Chapel of Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home, 268 N. Perry St., and may be viewed from 2-8:00PM Monday. Mr. Pinklon Thomas Sr, was born in Eatonton, Georgia, May 20, 1914, to Anderson Thomas and Ella (Pinkie) Boswell Thomas. His parents had a total of twenty two children combined and sixteen amongst themselves, he being the youngest. Pinklon struggled constantly in grade school with the spelling of his legal birth name “Pinkerton.” He and his teacher formed a secret alliance and changed his name to something less complicated. He wore the proud name of Pinklon, derived from the name “Pinkerton”. The teacher explained to him that no one would ever know. As a young child he moved with his family to Ensly, Alabama where he learned to pick cotton from sun up to sun down. He worked for very low wages from 1921 through 1935, earning no more than 5-10 cents per hour. This was during the Great Depression, under the control of President Hoover. In 1927, at the tender age of 13, he accepted the Lord as his personal savior at Shiloh Baptist Church, in Ensly. In 1935, at the legal age of 21, he worked his first real job at Tennessee Coal Mine in Alabama. There he would earn a whopping 13 cents per hour, and worked ten hours per day. He was known for having a modest personality, he remained gainfully employed through the early forties. He made many friends, and loved the state of Alabama. He began singing, and joined a quartet group known as the “Four Great Wonders.” They would sing in various churches and conventions, and were highly compensated. In 1941, he migrated to St. Paul, Minnesota. This relocation to Minnesota took place during the year of the Pearl Harbor bombing. This attack on Pearl Harbor would inevitably lead to his being drafted into the United States Army. He worked as a cook, and continued to make his way up in rank. He was promoted to Mess Sergeant and later a Technical Sergeant. This entitled him to carry the alias name of “Boss-Man”. He traveled extensively, and he eventually settled in Pontiac, Michigan in March 1942. He continued his passion for singing with his distinguished baritone voice. During this time he would meet the love of his life, Lorene Willie Beard on June 3rd, 1944 affectionately known as “Rene-Bene”. He also worked with the Yellow Cab Company, and American Fordes and Sockets 1944-1959. In addition, to make ends meet, he worked at Oakland Park, as well as Pearls Chop Soui and Howard Johnson. During this time there were three children born, Audrey, Bernice and Pinklon Jr.. In 1970, he was baptized and became a faithful member of Franklin Road Church of Christ, under the leadership of Minister Kevin Williams. He was known for hosting weekly bible studies at his home. He had a passion for dressing with swag and wearing his borsalino hat. He was also known for cooking down home ox tails and mouth watering hams. Most importantly his family tradition that not one birthday is spent with the absence of ice cream and cake. Because of him, this is a ritual amongst the Thomas family. He would care for an older brother Lagree, visiting him daily at the hospital, nursing home wherever he needed to drive. He would also care for his wife Lorene, until God called her home in 2002. At the time of her death they were married 58 years! Upon turning 97 in 2011, his car keys were ultimately taken and secured. It was agreed upon by his children that driving was no longer an option. Due to health reasons he was forced to stop cutting his lawn. Until God called him home he continued to read his bible and watch WWW Wrestling and listening to his hyms. He leaves to cherish his memories, two daughters, Audrey Jones, and Bernice Thomas both of Pontiac, Michigan. One son, Pinklon (DaJuana) Thomas, Jr. of Orlando, Florida nine grandchildren, Retina Thomas, Seneathra Thomas-Webb, Caswella Thomas, PaQuanna Jones, John Thomas all of Pontiac, Michigan, DeLonutia Zieglor, of Decatur, Georgia, Pinklon Thomas III, of Chicago, Illinois, Patrice Harrison and Pierra Thomas, both of Orlando, Florida. Pinkon was preceded in death by his parents Anderson and Ella Thomas, all of his siblings and one son-in-law Hardeman Jones.

Pinklon "Big Boy" "Phil" "Bossman" Thomas Sr.

May 20, 1914 - December 23, 2014