Obituary of John Paul Thomas

John Paul Thomas of Thorndike died of a heart attack June 6, 2024 at Sebasticook Valley Hospital in Pittsfield, Maine. John was born February 28, 1956 in Wyandotte, Michigan, son of Raymond Felix Thomas and Anna Mae Gumieny Thomas. John grew up and was educated in Southgate, Michigan. Despite losing his eyesight as a child due to a series of detached retinas and failed surgeries, John earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and then went to the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill where he earned a Master’s degree in Public Health. There he met his first wife, Laura, who was the Director of Disability Services. He was a devoted husband to her until her death of cancer in 1996.

John’s early career was in Disability Advocacy and Technical Support for adaptive technology, especially speech software, which translates documents into speech for people who have visual disabilities.

In 2003, John and his second wife Kathleen traveled to a Healing Prayer meeting in Connecticut. There they both had an encounter with God that changed their lives forever. After that, they traveled around the country, studying healing prayer, receiving prayer and praying for others.

In 2006, John took a job in online customer service for Tropical Traditions. In 2014, the owner of the company assembled a meeting in Texas so his workers could meet in person and he could assess their gifts and abilities for possible promotion or change of position in the company. At that time, John’s God-given talent for writing was uncovered and he became a writer for Health Impact News. His articles can still be found on their web site.

Since leaving that position, he has co-authored a book with a person he had interviewed in his previous position and written a memoire for his friend and brother in Christ, Mark Kerns. Most recently, inspired by his stay in an Assisted Living facility in 2023, he wrote a small book of meditations on Bible verses for people who live in health care facilities or are facing end of life challenges.  Kathleen is hoping to finish this book and get it into the hands of the people John wanted to minister to.

John was a faithful and loving husband to Kathleen, spending much of his time, energy and finances in creating a safe, clean home for her in light of her environmental illness.

John is survived by his wife, Kathleen, of Thorndike, several cousins in Michigan, his sister-in-law, Mary Ellen Buchanan of Naples, FL and Harrison, ME, his stepson, Bill Berube, of Carrabassett Valley, and step granddaughter, Emma Berube, of Norridgewock.