Grover Lee Thomas

Grover Lee Thomas of Houston, Texas, a loving husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather, passed away peacefully on July 19, 2025, at the age of 85.

Grover was born on November 9, 1939, in Ripley, Mississippi. He attended Baldwyn High School and The University of Mississippi, where he met and married his lovely wife, Margaret. He then worked as a chemist for Delta Refining Company, where he discovered his true calling. This led him back to Ole Miss where he graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering. Grover was a sales executive with J. F. Pritchard Co., Williams Bros. Engineering, M. W. Kellogg, and Raytheon, where he served customers domestically and all over the world. He was on the forefront of clean energy before it had gained popularity, studying coal gasification and synthetic fuels methods for decades.

Grover brought the same dedication and ingenuity to his personal roles and committed the last decades of his life to his church, community and family. He enjoyed using his skills as “Mr. Fix It” to repair anything anyone needed and completing projects on mission trips. He loved preparing meals for friends and family. An avid golfer, Grover was proud to have made two holes in one at his beloved Champions Golf Club and rarely missed a Saturday morning golf game for decades.

His three most treasured roles were Husband, Father, and “Grampy.” Grover was the center of his family, a larger-than-life presence who was always there to share a laugh, a golf cart ride, golf lesson, swim or outing. Grover will be deeply missed but his spirit lives on in all who knew him.

Grover was preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Marie Thomas, and his brother Robert Thomas. He is survived by his devoted wife of 65 years, Margaret, his son Greg (Susan), daughters Melanie Larrabee (Richard), Suzie Wernette (Roger), and Carol Enneking (Eric); grandchildren Kathryn Thomas Evans (Jonathan), Kirsten Thomas, Matthew Larrabee (Emily Brown), Grayson Larrabee, Ben Larrabee (Sara), Hannah Larrabee (Cullen Crombie), Ryan Wernette (Anna), Chris Wernette (Chloe), Bradley Stevens, and Bethany Stevens; and great-grandchildren Everett Evans, Emma Evans, Thomas Larrabee, and Caroline Larrabee. He is also survived by his brother Jerry Thomas, sister Paula Bridges, and numerous nieces, nephews and extended family members.

Grover quietly battled Alzheimer’s Disease for more than a decade, with Margaret providing constant loving care for many years. As the disease progressed, he enjoyed The Gathering meetings with his Care Partner, Larry Dunn, who visited him weekly for over 8 years. During his final year, the staff at Sycamore Creek Ranch provided compassionate care for him. Our deepest thanks to these caregivers for helping us ensure Grover received the utmost care.

Grover will be honored at a memorial service July 29, 2025 at 11 am at John Wesley Methodist Church in Houston. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to CarePartners Texas, John Wesley Methodist Church, or a charity of your choice.