Carl O. Thomas

Services will be live-streamed and may be viewed by clicking here.

Carl Otis Thomas passed away unexpectedly on July 17, 2023 at the age of 66 in his hometown
of Carlsbad, New Mexico. His passing has left all of us who knew him in disbelief and with a
broken heart.
Carl was born on March 17, 1957 in Carlsbad, New Mexico to Roy N. Thomas Jr. and Joanne
DeVolin (Thomas/Shreves). Due to the loss of his father at a very young age, he spent most of
his life living with his paternal grandparents, Roy N. & Velma Thomas of Carlsbad, as well as his
maternal grandparents, William & Ethel DeVolin of Marfa, Texas. Carl was always very proud of
the relationship he shared with his grandparents and often told stories of his time with them,
always giving them credit for setting the example and paving the path for him to become who he
was in life. Growing up, he enjoyed spending time with his older brother, Bill, while making many
lifelong and cherished friendships. Carl was active in sports and thrived in basketball, football,
tennis, and track. He was a very proud 1975 graduate of “the” Marfa High School. After high
school, Carl attended Sul Ross State University and Texas Tech University in pursuit of his
interest in horticulture and wildlife.
Carl met and married Marjo VanPelt (Pace) in 1978. The two were married for 14 years and had
two children together: Roy and Maaike Thomas.
It was in 1998 that Carl met his lifelong partner and love, Debbie. Carl and Debbie were married
on October 1, 1999 and enjoyed 24 years of marriage, adventure, and countless miles on the
road supporting their 6 living grandchildren in EVERY activity & sport they were involved in.
Papa T (as the grandchildren called him) never missed a single game, dance recital, hunting
trip, or swimming lesson. If the grandchildren were doing something, you could be certain to find
Papa T on the sidelines cheering them on and offering his coaching and “expertise”. Carl and
Debbie shared a very special love that only those close to them fully understood. He loved
pestering Debbie in his playful and loving ways and truly enjoyed getting a rise out of her. When
the kids and grandkids were around, they found Carl and Debbie to be very entertaining in their
loving bickering and would just sit back and laugh…which of course only encouraged him to do
it more. Debbie was often surprised with beautiful flowers and specially picked jewelry that Carl
was certain she would love.
Carl began working at IMC Potash (now known as Mosaic) at the age of 25. He started as an
underground miner and worked his way up to become the shipping & receiving
supervisor/foreman. Carl was well respected by everyone he worked with and was always
willing to “get his hands dirty”. He led by example and always thought that we can not ask of
others what we ourselves are not willing to do. Carl retired from IMC at the age of 52. Anyone
who knew him knew that he could not sit still for long. After a brief attempt of “being retired”, he
went back to work as an equipment salesman for Cavaloz and then later truly retired, becoming
a full-time grandparent. He spent most of his time with his grandchildren and enjoyed watching
them thrive in their activities. Carl enjoyed finding and/or “inventing” projects that he thought
HAD to be done. In reality, he just loved being busy and creating something he could be proud
of.
As a father, Carl was very active in his children’s lives. He attended every parent-teacher
conference and coached every sports team. It is with certainty that Roy and Maaike know and
have always known that they are blessed to have had the BEST dad to ever walk this earth.
Roy and Maaike shared a very close relationship with their dad, talking and/or seeing him daily,
not just in childhood, but in adulthood, as well. Carl was a proud father and truly spent his days
taking care of everyone around him, always wanting to make things better for those he loved,
especially his children and grandchildren.
When Carl (Papa T) was not traveling to one of his children or grandchildren’s many events, he
could be found spending time with each of them in their own special way. For Roy, that looked
like working on a project together, giving it the good ole “Papa T fix” that we can all spot from a
mile away. He and Maaike enjoyed catching up on the golf course, sharing stories and laughs
with one another. Papa T and Kenzie went on weekly breakfast dates to Blue House, eating
cinnamon rolls and burritos in between laughs and famous Papa T lectures. They both always
looked forward to the next breakfast date when they could order those matching burritos and
tease one another all over again. He and Austyn shared many trips up to the ranch to fill up the
deer feeders and check on game cameras in order to prepare for their special hunts. These
hunts included long hours in a tree stand and Papa T drawing in a deer so Austyn could get the
perfect shot. Tristin and Papa T really bonded over baseball on and off the field and often got
lost in conversations about how impressed Papa was with Tristin’s athleticism. This was
undoubtedly followed with some famous Papa T coaching. Charlotte Cheyenne was the apple of
his eye. She and Papa could be found tending to the flowers in the garden or feeding the rabbits
that Papa T built a very special cage for. He and Nathan would wander off at baseball games to
find “rabbits”. When not at a baseball game, they were getting a happy meal at McDonalds so
Nathan could have the newest, coolest toy. Although Cedar lives in Snyder, Texas, that did not
stop Papa T from showing up for his first soccer game and every birthday party. Cedar enjoyed
sharing with Papa all of the many things he picked up from the ground during their special walks
and outdoor explorations. Papa T grieved the loss of his youngest grandchild, James Ezra, and
would often be found visiting his grave sight, telling him stories, leaving small gifts, and making
sure his area was pristinely kept.
Carl’s generosity was not confined to his household and family. He was a selfless and generous
man to everyone he ever met. Carl was known as “coach” or “Papa T” to many people in our
community. He had a long relationship with youth athletics in Carlsbad that began 39 years ago
when Roy was old enough to start sports and continued on all the way through his
grandchildren and their sports. From serving as a booster for baseball and soccer and coaching
teams to building and maintaining concession stands and baseball fields, Carl poured his heart
into making things the best they could be. When Maaike was in elementary school, Carl (along
with Rick Castillo) brought the first all girls traveling soccer team to Carlsbad (Lady Vipers). The
pair then went on to coach the Carlsbad Cavegirls high school soccer team from 1995-1999. To
this day, Carl has maintained contact and communication with many of his former players and
was always so happy to hear about their families and how they were doing.
Carl loved his family more than anything else. He loved doing things for other people, even
strangers. He loved without limits and gave without thought. He will forever be dearly missed.
Carl’s passing has placed a void in all of our lives that we can never fill.
Carl was preceded into heaven by his father, Roy N. Thomas Jr;, mother, Joanne DeVolin
Shreves; grandparents: Roy Newton Thomas, Velma Thomas, William DeVolin, and Ethel
DeVolin; and grandson, James Ezra Thomas.
Carl is survived by his wife, Debbie Thomas (Worrell); son, Roy Thomas, and wife, Noemi;
daughter, Maaike Thomas, and partner, Chris Belis; stepsons, Denny and Cole Crumpacker;
brother, Bill Thomas, and wife, Marylou; nephew, William Thomas, and wife, Yaya; uncle, Jim
Thomas; grandchildren, Austyn Chester, Makenzie Chester, Tristin Thomas, Charlotte Lee,
Nathan Hamman, and Cedar Crumpacker; as well as numerous cousins and countless
friends.
A memorial service is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 25, 2023 at First
Methodist Church in Carlsbad, New Mexico. No visitation is scheduled as cremation has taken
place.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking that donations be made to the J.E.T Memorial Scholarship
fund at First American Bank (Acct. # 5102). This scholarship was set up in memory of Carl’s
grandson, James Ezra Thomas, who was born into heaven on August 27, 2022. James is now
being held lovingly in the arms of his Papa T.