- Date Of Birth: July 25, 1948
- Date Of Death: December 18, 2008
- State: Texas
July 25, 1948 – December 18, 2008
Alphord Richard Thomas, Jr., age 60, passed away in his sleep at his home on Green Cedar Rd. in Boerne, Texas on Thursday, December 18, 2008. Often seen shopping in his motorized wheelchair with a small white dog on his lap, Richard was a true profile in courage. Having survived a battlefield explosion that took both legs, he became a wheelchair sports icon and spokesman, in particular for disabled veterans. His accomplishments in discus, javelin and other field events are memorialized by a 3 X 5 portrait in the Audie Murphy VA Center. He was a world class marksman, competing in the 1988 Paralympics in Seoul, S. Korea. In recent years he limited his competition to bowling, often placing in the top 3 in annual national wheelchair bowling tournaments. At the time of his death, he participated in the Wednesday wheelchair league in San Antonio and socialized with friends afterwards. A true patriot, Richard often said that he would have borne his wounds again for his country. His family and friends mourn his passing, but are comforted by the courage, love, and joy of life that he exemplified. He is survived by his wife, the former Shirley Beatrice Lawrence; mother, Dorothy Mae Hylton Thomas; children, Victoria Irene Kogan and her husband Kevin, Christina Dee Ramey and her husband Kris, Scott Richard Thomas and his wife Cindy; sisters, Patty McClellan, Susie Smith, Debbie Foreman, Lora Dietrich; brother, Michael David Thomas; grandchildren, Zachary, Brianna, Lauren, Amanda, Ethan, Kaley Skye, and numerous nieces, nephews and friends.
