Dr. Samuel Boyce Thomason
On Sunday, May 25, 2025 Samuel Boyce Thomason passed away quietly at his favorite place on earth, his home in the Blue Ridge Mountains, with his wife, Jo, and his daughter, Mandy, by his side.
He leaves behind many loved ones and lifelong friends: His wife of 27 years Kathy Jo Thomason (Beasley), his daughter Mandy (Samantha) Jane Thomason, his stepson and daughter-in-law Neil and Jill Crabtree, Jerre Hill and Karen Thorsett-Hill, Tim and Donna Rhyne, Gary Swanson and Diana Openbrier, Roger and Cathy Parsons, Larry Hawkins, Bill Thornton, Nancy Jane Groover, and his dog Lily and cat Spooks.
Sam was born in Goldsboro, NC, to Samuel Hawthorne Thomason and Mary Pack Miller Thomason on December 23, 1944. He grew up in Greenville, SC, and attended Greenville High School along with dear friends Jerre Hill, Fulton Ross (deceased), and Joe Phillips (deceased). He graduated in 1962. After graduation he attended the University of South Carolina, earning a BS in Mechanical Engineering in 1967.
During this time, Sam took two cross-country road trips with Fulton Ross, one in Sam’s 1964 midnight blue Super Sport Impala, and the other in Fulton’s Corvette. These trips took them through the western US and into Mexico and left them with memories cherished for a lifetime.
After graduating with his BS, Sam moved to Pittsburgh, PA, to work for Westinghouse Electric at the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory, working on aerospace projects and nuclear power systems for US Navy submarines. There he met lifelong friends and sailing companions Gary Swanson and Diana Openbrier. During this time, he became an avid photographer, taking copious pictures at sports car races with his beloved Pentax SLR. It was also during this time that he purchased his treasured 1969 Corvette.
In 1972 he returned to the University of South Carolina and obtained a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering in 1974. He then began work on his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, NC. While in Raleigh, he became a founding member of the Ratzass Track Club (motto: “Tardus Sed Gravis”), along with his close friends and fellow running enthusiasts Jerre, Tim, and Roger. Sam’s love of running continued through his life, with one of his proudest accomplishments being his completion of the Big Sur International Marathon in April 1989.
In 1977, Sam accepted a faculty position in Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA. His daughter Mandy was born in 1978, and he completed his PhD work and received his degree in 1979. In 1984, Sam became a faculty member at the University of Memphis in Memphis, TN, and taught in the Mechanical Engineering department until 2000. While at the University, he met and married Kathy Jo, in his words: “the one that makes it all worthwhile.” In 2000, Sam and Jo returned to the Blacksburg area and the mountains he so dearly loved. He began teaching at New River Community College, launching the engineering program there. He retired from NRCC in 2018.
Sam loved photography, Corvettes, motorcycles - especially his 1979 Bonneville Triumph, car racing, sailing, all things aerospace, good music - particularly Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt, his many cats and dogs, and the Blue Ridge Mountains, but most of all, his family and dear friends.
He was a loving husband, father, and friend, and he will be missed immensely.
There are no services scheduled for Mr. Thomason at this time. A guestbook is available to send condolences to the family by visiting www.kendallfuneralhome.com. The staff of Kendall Funeral Home are honored to serve the Thomason family.
