Morgan Thomas, 65, passed away peacefully on Monday, May 17, 2010, following a two-year battle with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease).
Raised in Seattle, Wash., Morgan moved to the Wood River Valley in 1963. Over the years, Morgan worked in numerous fields, including Sun Valley Ski Patrol, Pete Lane's, Sun Valley Ski Team, Sun Valley Gun Club, Aspen Sports, his own company Quarter Horses Limited, Suzie Q Ranch, Webb Landscaping and most recently Scott USA. Morgan loved skiing, hunting, fishing, riding and roping, camping, sailing and family outings.
Morgan married Denise Lindsey on April 1, 1984. Morgan is survived by his wife, Denise, and two sons, Chris Thomas, a local paramedic/firefighter living in Bellevue, and Ryan Thomas, a professional reined cow horse trainer living in Rupert, and by four siblings, Candy Kingma (Ken), Wayne Thomas (Lynn), Doug Thomas and Dylan Thomas. Morgan's parents, Morgan A. Thomas and Rena Shepherd Gillet, preceded Morgan in death.
Following his diagnosis, Morgan made a "bucket list." In September 2008, Morgan's co-workers at Scott USA sent Morgan and Denise on a cruise up the Inland Passage to Alaska. During summer 2009, Morgan and Denise traveled the western USA in a specially outfitted lift van, completing Morgan's "bucket list," which included a trip on the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon with sons, Chris and Ryan. Morgan particularly loved the Idaho outdoors and the time he was able to spend at his hunting cabin in Clayton, Idaho.
Throughout his life, Morgan was an avid gun-safety advocate. In lieu of flowers, the family requests friends who wish to do so to make a donation to the Morgan A. Thomas Firearm Safety Fund to support gun safety classes for Wood River Valley youth and women at the Hurtig Shooting Center in Ohio Gulch. Please mail donations to D.L. Evans Bank, 12 E. Bullion St., Suite A, Hailey, ID 83333.
Friends of the Thomas family are invited to a celebration of Morgan's life on Saturday, June 5, at 1 p.m. at the Thomas' home at 102 Horseshoe Circle in Hailey. Please bring a beverage, finger-food to share and special photos and stories about Morgan.
Arrangements are under the care of Wood River Chapel of Hailey, Idaho. (www.woodriverchapel.com).
