Raji "Reggie" Thomas

Stephanie, I'm am so sorry for your loss. You and your girls are in my thoughts and prays.

Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord and may his soul forever rest in peace

Raji was a great man and we had many philosophical discussions about life, religion and the mid east countries. He was always strong in his beliefs and prided himself that his wife was very pretty and that he boldly sought her affection and won her over. He was much to young to be taken so early. I will miss him..David

Raji was a hard worker whom I had the privilege of working with for almost twenty years. He always spoke of his family in the highest regard. There are not many people who possess honesty,kindness,intelligence and stregth like Raji did. He will be sadly missed.

I have very pleasant and warm memories of dear Reggie from our time together in the St. Mark's Cathedral choir in the 70's. The family is held warmly in our thoughts and prayers

"With love and fond memories, our heartfelt condolences in these moments of sadness”

Our thoughts and prays are with you all. All of our love. Raji was a wonderful man with a gentle way. We will miss him so. God Bless and Keep you

Seeing Raj always brought a smile to my face, he was a charming gentleman who always had something interesting to talk about. We shared many laughs as we watched our children grow up and logged many hours on our bus pick-up duty down at the bottom of the hill. I'll miss him. And my heart breaks for his family.

May his soul rest in peace.

Sorry to hear the new. Vargis jaco

May his soul rest in peace.

To Stephanie Thomas and family , Mam we may not have met as yet but raji was dear friend long ago in school and so to share your grief and give you strength and hope to bear this ireplaceable loss I share some thoughts from Indian scriptures and writings "Man is immortal; therefore he must die endlessly. For life is a creative idea; it can only find itself in changing forms. In the dualism of death and life there is a harmony. We know that the life of a soul, which is finite in its expression and infinite in its principle, must go through the portals of death in its journey to realize the infinite. Only after death will a person be what he was before birth ie back in God's arms” . May God bless you all always . best regards Sanjeev Mahajan

Stephanie Oma Amanda Samantha and Gina, What a wonderful man your Raji was. He always had a smile for me. I always looked forward to his chicken with SAME sauce. He loved you all so much. His spirit will always shine through in the smiles of those beautiful girls. He was so proud of them and will continue to live on in their lives and accomplishments. Our thoughts and prayers are with you. The Caulfields

It was a genuine pleasure and an honor to know Raji, a true man among men to say the least. I always appreciated his position and stand he took no matter what the issue – as a Union Rep. he was there for the people who elected him to represent them and represent them he did. As a person, friend, co-worker – one could not ask for a more sincere and caring person. He will truly be missed by all who knew him. To the family – my heart goes out to you.

My dad, Raji, was inspiring and was always trying his best to make everyone happy. We all loved him so much, and I don't think I can say goodbye to him ever. I'll always have a feeling he's still next to me telling me he loves me and I now cherish all those moments.

Dear Stephanie, Amanda, Samantha and Gina. I am writing this letter to express deep sorrow for your loss. I knew Reggie through his brother Prem and shall always remember him. He was the most kind hearted and happy person that I ever knew. I feel that your loss is a loss to all the people who knew him. May God bless his soul and complete all his wishes. Our thoughts and prayers are with you, and we are sharing the burden of this great grief. May God bless You. May God bless Reggie's soul. With love and sympathy, Sanjit & Azeena Varghese

To my dearest Raji. I will miss you more than words can express. I thank you for coming into my life and for our beautiful girls. You will not be forgotten.

My uncle was a man who will forever be loved and forever be missed. He brought love and laughter where ever he went. I will never forget the way he would play his guitar and sing for us. We love you Reggiechachen...

Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. With love and sympathy.

Stephanie: We have not met, but our thoughts and prayers are with you and your girls. My predominant memory if of a merry little boy who loved to sing in the St. Mark's Cathedral choir in Banglore. To Mr.Thomas David, Omana, Mohan, Roy, Prem, Alice and your families - our heartfelt condolences.

Rest in peace Raji, you will be missed!! all our love, Karen & Roy

Terry and I had the honor of knowing Raji and his family for many years. Raji and his family were part of our wedding and he and his family will always be part of our memories. I can easily re-live the days of working with Raji picking metal at Chrysler. I loved rushing him down the aisle... ..and he would stare me down only to approach me with a joke and to have a friendly conversation as we worked together. He always spoke fondly and lovingly of his children and wife. Our deepest sympathy to all of the Thomas family. I will always remember Raji as a hard working man, a loving father, and a loving husband. I know this from years of friendship. I will never forget him and the times we spent working and joking around together. Deepest Regards, "The Pearce Family" Steven Pearce

We always called Raji "Reggie" at home. Reggie was a focal point among the siblings, with his antics and jokes. He and I shared a special bond through the years as we moved through life, being each other's confidante and, in our early lives, co-conspirators in adventures and sometimes misadventures! So many memories well up in me, from his protectiveness in school, the miles we jogged together in the dawn hours when we were teens, the time we spent rally racing, the discussions we had on everything under the sun, and so much more. Reggie was always kind, thoughtful and very devoted to his family. He absolutely doted on his girls. He had a passion for cooking, and made many fans of Indian cuisine among his friends. After we both left Chrysler, we did not get to see each other as often as before, but we always talked and e-mailed each other, sharing jokes, and tips and strategies on daily stock trading. My heart goes out to Stephanie, Amanda, Samantha, Gina and Oma, and of course my sisters and brothers, nieces and nephews, for their tremendous loss. We have all lost a bright light in our midst. And though I never said it as much as I should have: I love you, brother! Rest in peace.

Stephanie, Amanda, Samantha, Gina, Oma... Brothers, Sisters, Neices and Nephews. We cannot even fathom the pain and loss you are all enduring. Raji(Reggie) was such a big Teddy Bear! He loved all of you so very much. His spirit will always be with all of you. Looking after you and helping you through all your trials and tribulations. Please know that. He is only gone in the physical sense. His beautiful spirit lives forever. I know you will all be there for each other. But also know we are here for you too. Even if all you need is an ear.

I have known Steph and Raji since their first date. Raji was one of the dearest and nicest people I know. We are saying prayers for Steph and her daughters and know that in time your hearts will heal. God bless you all. All our Love, Michelle, Thomas, Alyssa & Sabrina

What a sweet and wonderful man, father, son and brother Raji was. May God Bless him and his family in this time of pain and anguish.

Words cannot express how sorry we are for your loss. Raji was an absolute gem of a human being and I will always remember him as a faithful and loving family man. I will also remember the huge pots of food on the stove when he cooked. Raji will always live on in spirit and in memories. We will keep the entire Thomas family in our thoughts and prayers always. All our love, Anthony, Alicia, Chris, Alexa and Joseph.

Dear Stephanie, Amanda, Samantha and Gina, I am one of Reggie’s ‘own’ brothers as I was the closest among all cousins when the family was living in Bangalore. After leaving India, life took us in different directions and the only time we met (you may not remember) is for your wedding. After that, my wife Jessy and I saw Reggie only briefly for Mohan’s son’s confirmation, in NJ. It was with deep shock that we got the news of Reggie’s demise and we still are grieving over his passing away. Much as we would like to be around to support you all during this difficult time, we are unable to do so as we live far away, in the Middle East. As we send our heartfelt condolences to you all, I want to leave this word of hope for you: that we all will see Reggie in heaven. 1 Corinthians 15: 13-18. May the God of peace fill you all with His peace at this time of bereavement and grief. We will be connecting with you soon. With love and blessings Jachayan David Thomas& Jessy Thomas. Kingdom of Bahrain, Arabian Gulf.

Raji was one of my best friends in school and we spent so much time growing up together. A truly caring and loving person. Here is what he had to say in his own words when I had to cancel my trip to visit him...."Sorry to hear that you can't make it this time. Let me know the next time you might be able to stop by. There is no inconvenience at all. It's just like one of my brothers dropping by.....". Will miss him. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and may the memories give them strength in this difficult time.

Stephanie, I am really sorry about your loss. The news was shocking. I have very fond memories of Raji. I will certainly remember you all in my prayers.

Stephamie, Im sorry for your loss, you and the girls are in my thoughts and prayers. I miss Reggie at the bus stop.

Raji was not only a co-worker, but a good friend. I enjoyed all of the conversations we had on many different topics. He always had a great outlook and always spoke of his love for his family (and food). I will miss him dearly.

Reggie mon, "Memmories will never fade till the last breath" Loving Shirlykochamma. (Kuwait)

Its’ long time since I heard or met but now I heard with great shock and dismay my brother Reggie’s sudden demise. Though I am afar in another part of the world Saudi Arabia for good, my heart weeps ……with great grief …and share every moment of the pain and agony you are going through in this hour of gloom and despair dear Stephanie and children. I am Binoy his cousin and we are of the same age; my memory goes back to the teenage and adolescent times when Reggie with his all family members and sometimes he alone used to come down from Bangalore to his mothers’ native place Kayamkulam, Kerala for holidays. He was so loving and lovable, charming, always pleasant, humorous and so on…. we all cousins together enjoyed his company so much whenever he was around.; Now he just gone to the other shore where we all are expecting to go , hoping to see him there one day. As psalms 27:14 ‘wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. My heart goes out for you all. Our heart felt condolences. Binoy, Rajini and Abhishek,Saudi Arabia.

Our Condolence Darly,Satheesh, DeepaAnish &Divya (kuwait)

I write this with my heart full of deep sorrow,grief, pain and tears for my dear,dear brother Reggie. I dont think I can ever get over this pain I feel in my heart at this time, as long as there is breath in me. I miss him so very much and cannot accept the thought he will never be around for all our get togethers. Our lives have changed forever & will not be the same without him. Just to hear the words he always said kiddingly to me when he called me on the phone "Mole, ethu achachan ah" meaning, Little sister, this is you big brother! He was so much a joy to be around. I loved to hear him sing, and play the guitar esp. singing base fo hymns that we used to sing as a family growing up..what a wounderful voice he had! He was a great sportsman too, with Cricket being his favorite, as he was the fast bowler for his school team. I still remember the day he was born. My Dad came into our room (kids' room, where myself Mohan & Roy slept)I was 4 and a half yrs.old Mohan 3yrs & Roy almost 2 yrs.old) and asked "Do you want to see your new Baby Brother & I remember nodding...Daddy took us to Mummy & I remember she was holding our new Baby brother "Reggie" in her arms. Daddy lifted Mohan & me up one by one to see the Baby closer & was holding Roy in his arms. I always remembered that scene, as it was the 1st sibling's birth that I can remember so clearly, even after all these years. It was an honor to have my brother Reggie in my life, to have grown up together,as his big sister, whom he lovingly called "Molammai"(as my Mom called me) or "Chechie" (respected older sister, is the translation), depending on his mood. I long to hear those words, once again & the thought I won't is too hard to bear... But thankfully, we have so many beautiful memories that he has left for us, that we can talk about, laugh about and gain the strength to move on, till we meet him again. Stories as life moves forward in the days, weeks and years ahead,to tell him at that time. I love you very much dearest Reggie, ...see you on that Golden Shore. May you rest in peace.

My dearest brother Reggie,Steph,Amanda,Samantha and"Gin-Gin"..I feel my heart is ripped apart.I still feel Reggie will call me(in Illinois)/see me(In Monroe) and say"Hi Giddu!" That's me..his little sister.I have these rare memories that no one else will have and I remember always that he means what he says.I love you Reggie and I know that all is well with you.(I had a dream the night you went to be with the Lord)I don't think there are many people in this world who care,love,laugh, sing ,play,advice as genuinely as Reggie.He will always be a special part of my life and my boys George, Thomas and Sean.They miss their uncle deeply and will always cherish those memories you made with them.He always made us feel sooo comfortable,with his constant joking,cooking,singing and advices( and intelligent discussions) that we will keep in our hearts forever. The memories of our time when we came from Illinois for the summer hols..Reggie and family genuinely wanted us there.Let's take comfort in Christ, the hymns Reggie loved to sing.(Remember Reggie?-me,playing the piano,while you sang bass)and the Bible,especially Psalm 23.Life here on Earth is too short.But we will live forever in God's House.We will see you soon dearest Reggie.Life here is but a fleeting moment.Thanks for the beautiful memories.The pain will never go away Reggie.Hug amd kiss Mummy for me.I(we)love you.Till we meet again...... Your 'lil sis,"Giddu" and all of us.

I miss you. I don't know if you really understood how important you are to me. The sun has burnt out and I'm lost in the dark. When I'm strong enough, I'll find a way to light my way with the beautiful family you've given me and the memories we made with you. I miss you, Daddy. I see your shadows everywhere, I can hear your footsteps. I am sorry for all the stupid times we fought. Even though some of those fights were necessary because I was right and you needed me to tell you that –– Shakespeare was a poet AND playwright! You are so pigheaded! So am I. I love you. Thank you for making me who I am, and thank you for giving me such strong, incredible sisters. I am useless without them and, especially, without Mom. She's going to take care of us. I'll continue to drive Samantha to her cheer tumbling classes...just as you asked me to on Monday, February 8th, 2010. I'll keep my promise, Dad. Always. I love and miss you so much it hurts. I hope my grandmother told you what she wanted to tell you. And I hope you can't see us now. You wouldn't be in any kind of heaven if you could. I never met your mother...and you, to my deepest dismay, will never meet my children. But I have always thought of her with such reverence because of your stories and who you are. To my children, you will be godly and that is no less than you deserve. I always wished for a god I could truly believe in...and now I have one. At the greatest cost, you gave me some spirituality. As we conclude every phone conversation: I'll talk to you later. I love you.

Tribute by Mathew Jacob 2nd, a classmate of batch of "75, St Joseph's After my school days, at St Joseph's, Bangalore, back in 1975, some memories of Raji are still fresh in my mind. It was in Oct 2008, that we got reconnected again on my visit to the USA. On my fag end of my trip to US, while i was in NJ, my classmates Noel and Mathew asked me to meet up with Raji. We did not meet as i was flying out in a few days, sadly with Raji....We had a very witty, humorous long conversation on the phone after about 32 years, and did renaissance our good old days. My thoughts of Raji are fresh in my mind since October 2008, as we have been in touch via email. It was in the last week of October, 2009, that he had asked me to meet up with his dear Dad in Indranagar, aged about 90. He mentioned to me that he would catch up with me on his next visit to Bangalore. But that was not to be....He told me, that his Dad would really appreciate my visit, a classmate meeting up his Dad. He told me, my Dad is deeply religious and sure when we met, tears swelled into the old man's eyes as I recited Psalm 23' "the Lord is My Shepherd",and prayed with him, Raji's dear Dad. Today, as I understand his Dad is still around, but sure has been a sudden demise, to see our dear classmate and friend leave us all, so suddenly. Well, I join all the batchmates of '75, we Josephites, as we bid you farewell Raji. I take this moment to send my heart felt condolences to his dear wife, children, family , relatives and friends. May his soul rest in peace'! from Mathew Jacob, a missionary based NGO, founder, Gift of God Ministries

From Omana on behalf of Daddy.. As the oldest in the Family, I thought it would be the right thing to share a few thoughts on our Dad's behalf. I am sure Daddy would want to also, if he could say or write, at this time of great devastation & grief in our family. Since Daddy is suffering from memory problems, we are not sure how he comprehends situations like this...but if he was alert, I would think Daddy will have a lot to say about his "Reggen", as he lovingly called our brother Reggie. Daddy's eyes lit up so much, when he saw him in Bangalore, when Reggie & I visited him in 2006 (which unfortunately was their last meeting)We celebrated Daddy's 85th birthday at that time. Daddy enjoyed every bit of that time spent together. Reggie specially went to the famous Koshy's Restaurant in Bangalore, to get Daddy's favorite "mixed grill" for him for lunch that day. Daddy was very touched by that and Daddy's face was filled with so much love & appreciation for his son's gesture. He & Reggie enjoyed that lunch together that afternoon, of Daddy's birthday. Daddy & Reggie talked for long hours about his family, and their visit to India, couple of years prior..about Stephanie's love for India (amazed him)and how Samantha reminded him of Mummy, Amanda was more like Alu & Gina reminded him of Reggie's younger days etc. I am sure if Daddy had to say something here, this would be what Daddy would cherish & hold very dear to his heart, of his dear Reggen. I remember Daddy & Mummy talking about Reggie's younger days, when people would remark of what a beautiful Baby he was...and how everyone seeing him, could not resist complimenting them of his great looks & how friends at their parties in Mysore, India, always competing to hold him. I am sure these beautiful memories would be what Daddy would reflect on here... Reggie adored his parents so much and that came through in all the conversations I had with him...he really was proud of both of them(Daddy's achievements & Mummy's great cooking etc) Mummy's passing away early,touched him dearly and I know it took him a long time to find comfort. I believe that only happened after his marriage and as their children came along. Both Mummy & Daddy adored him, as he always would joke around with them, much more than the rest of us. They loved him so very much... I remember when I visited my Dad in 1997, Daddy was sitting in the garden outside, after Tea & watching the neighbor's kids play & Daddy called & told me.."watch that boy in the red 'checkered' shirt...he reminds me very much of Reggen" and sure he did. Daddy went on to tell me.."now I watch the neighbors kids play..I wish I took the time then to watch my own children at play" and he wept. It was so sad to see him cry about that lost time. (He was a very busy man during the time we were growing up, I am sure time went by so quickly, as it is for all of us) These would be some of Daddy's memories of Reggie, that he would have loved to share with us, (among the tons he has in his heart) if he only could.. This is an unbearable a loss for Daddy and I am sure Daddy would say with a broken, greiving heart and tears pouring down his face for his beloved Son...To his dearest Reggen..that he adored him with all his heart and loved him very dearly and cheish him & that he will treasure his Reggen in his heart silently forever.

My dear friend Stephanie, Words cannot express how deeply sorry I am for you, Amanda, Samantha and Gina, your precious girls. Raji was such a wonderful, warm, kind human being. I know he was your calm in the storm; your ballast, as you were his. A doting husband and father, he adored all his girls. I so wish I had the chance to get to know him better. With Love, Wendi

My Brother ,Reggie's passing away came as a Shock to me. No words can express it except like a freight train hitting you at 100MPH.My tears will never dry up for you.Rest in peace Reggie till we meet again. From,Mohan,Sheba,Alan & Alysha

A precious son, a kind and patient brother,loving husband to Stephanie and the proud father to his three adorable beautiful daughters, Amanda, Samantha and Gina. Reggie was full of life, so willing to listen to everybody's problems with those kind green eyes and his perpetual smile! Yes, I believe Reggie is a radiant angel in heaven. Even in our darkest hour filled with grief, as Christians, we have to find solace in the Bible. Something that comes to mind is what our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ said: IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE ARE MANY MANSIONS. IF IT WERE NOT TRUE, WOULD I HAVE TOLD YOU THAT I GO TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU? As the epitaph on the tombstone of my grandfather Reverend K C David reads:I miss you so very very much.

Correction: As the epitaph on the tombstone of my grandfather Reverend K C David reads: TILL WE MEET AGAIN ON THAT BEAUTIFUL SHORE. I miss you so very very much.

To all of Reggiechachans family. Our heart goes out to you in your deep sorrow and our prayers will always be with you. May God Almighty give you the courage and be with you all and help you find peace in this difficult times. I am Anila Samkutty Uncle's( Quilon) eldest daugher living in New Zealand. I was in Quilon when I heard the news and our Appachen was very upset and sad and he said he was Reggie's favourite Uncle and Reggie used to remind him that everytime they met. He prayed for all of you that day and he was talking about all of you and Sophiekutty Ammachy in spite of his memory loss.I had met Uncle(your Daddy) in Bangalore and in spite of his memory loss he talked to me and recognised me and cried when I left. Reggiechachen was a very funny person and I remember his pranks and his jokes and how he used to entertain us.We all love you Reggiechachen and you will always be in our hearts. I would love to meet you all when I come over there.

We are shocked by the sad news about the passing away of our dear Reggie! He is still vivid in our memories. What a loving and joyful person he was! Our prayers and thoughts are for his dear wife Stephanie and children and all the brothers and sisters and his dear father. We still remember the lovely get-together and of course the good food which he himself cooked in 2004 when we visited him in his beautiful home at the top of a hill in NY. The last we saw him was in 2006 when he visited to celebrate his Dad's birthday. It was a special occasion Our life belongs to God. "We are the Lord's" Achen KC Abraham and Kochamma

Dear Stephanie and children It is with great sorrow that I learnt of Reggie mon's untimely demise from Prem. I have fond memories of Reggie, Aunty and all the children. Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this time. May God give you the strength to bear the loss. We pray for his soul and for all of you.

Dear Stephanie Mummy told me of Reggiechayan untimely death.My thoughts and prayers are with you and with the family. Regards smrithi

This is not the best occasion to reconnect after so many year; yet I take this as a time to share in your grief. What devastating news for all of you and Reggie's family. Of course, I recall our time together so well. Reggie was Amal's age but we all felt like one big family. Condolences to you all of you. These must be hard days for you all. My prayer is that you be granted a vision of a free, mobile, gentle, joyous reconnected and radiant Reggie. He has rejoined his Creator forever. One day we all too will celebrate the gift of “fullness of life” with him, your mother and all the saints. May Reggie’s soul rest in peace and may light perpetual shine upon him! But of course the family is left with his absence, distance, severance and a deep sense of being left alone. And that is so hard. Only God can draw close to all of you to give strength, courage and comfort. God’s role is to fill voids and make whole. May healing and wholeness be His gift! Often I have found that time is not a healer. In fact it can make things more painful and lonely. But God can heal and nurture us back to wholeness. I pray that God’s presence abides acutely and assuredly on all the family. May you find God’s light shining upon you for guidance and warmth; and His shadow protecting you from the burning flames of discouragement and sorrow! May your minds and bodies find strength and assurance and may the peace that passes all understanding rejuvenate your lives. After all, finally it is in our mortal ends that lie richer beginnings into abundant life. Prayers and warm regards Sathi Reverend Dr. Sathianathan Clarke Professor of Theology, Culture and Mission Wesley Theological Seminary 4500 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington DC 20016