Paul E. Thomas, 88, passed peacefully on July 10, 2022, in Morgantown. He was born in Tyler City and lived most of his life with his wife of 62 years, Alicia Ann Jones Thomas, in Sistersville. Paul and Alicia were members of the Sistersville Church of Christ for more than 30 years.
Some may remember Paul as a world record-holding roller-skater and co-founder of Rendezvous Roller Rink in Sistersville and, often, as a surrogate dad or granddad to all of his rink “kids.” Others may remember him as Uncle Fixit or even as Tom Cat, due to his uncanny ability to climb over, under and through buildings and towers to build and repair things. His grandkids remember him as being invincible after hearing of his daring feats while working and tending to his home and business. Friends and family will recall his storytelling, jokes and many funny sayings, but all will remember his kind and caring demeanor and his commitment to his community and church. No matter where he seemed to travel, someone would recognize him and call out a greeting of “Hey Paul!”
Growing up during the Great Depression as the son of a carpenter and a homemaker, Paul and his brother and sisters all worked hard to help the family make ends meet. He spent time helping his father and grandfather mill lumber and rose before dawn to work for a local dairy farmer before heading to school and then back again to work until dark. He fit in his studies between jobs, graduating in the class of 1952 from Tyler County High School in Middlebourne. After working several jobs in Canton, Ohio, he served in the Army from 1957-1959.
While building the home they resided in for nearly 60 years and starting a family, Paul found employment with PPG Industries in Natrium, spending more than 30 years working in just about every job at the plant and finally retiring in September 1996 from his position as a carpenter. He and Alicia built and then opened the Rendezvous Roller Rink on Dec. 8, 1973, operating it for 30 years. Their dream of providing a recreational activity for the area’s children and families and supporting the community as local business owners was fulfilled.
On the first anniversary of the roller rink’s opening, Paul decided to see if he could break the record of most hours skated, then 108, as recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records. A Skate-A-Thon was held, and participants raised money for Sistersville General Hospital. Paul skated around the rink for 109 hours, breaking the world record. Unfortunately, right after he finished, it was discovered that a man in Australia had skated for 148 hours. Paul tried again in 1975 skating for 154 hours, almost six-and-a-half days, again breaking the world record. Today, those wheels just keep on rolling as family friends, Rose and Mike Thomas, bought the roller rink in 2003 and continue to operate it.
Paul was an avid sports lover and followed college football, especially when the WVU Mountaineers were playing. He had a green thumb, and there was no plant left behind when the cold days of winter arrived. Their basement (and his brother’s garage) was often filled with the plants and flowers that Paul would lovingly nurse during the winter months to then replant, repot or give away when spring arrived. He and Alicia loved to create exquisite landscaping areas on their property. As a son of a woodworker and a carpenter himself by trade, there was no building project too big or too small for Paul. He helped build or repair many homes, barns and other buildings in the Tyler County area, created beautiful furniture for his daughters as well as for family and friends and most recently spent many joyful hours hand-carving wooden toys and painting landscape scenes that will be enjoyed by his children and grandchildren for years to come.
Paul was preceded in death by his parents, Emery and Carrie “Short” Wildman Thomas, and his sister, Thelma (Thomas) Ash. Many others will miss him tremendously, including his wife, Alicia Ann Jones Thomas, of Morgantown; his children and their families, Tara Thomas Scatterday and husband Chuck Scatterday, of Morgantown, and Krystal Thomas Whitesell and husband Mike Whitesell, of Bristol, Va.; grandchildren in age order: Allysan Scatterday and husband Alexander Waldrop, Seth Scatterday, Drew Scatterday and Nathan Whitesell; his brother, Lawrence Thomas and wife Donna Jean Thomas; his sister, Florence (Thomas) Schmidt; and many nieces and nephews and their extended families.
Paul would love it if you would go for a roller skate with your family and friends, teach someone how to build something or plant and care for some beautiful flowers. He would also remind you to never accept any wooden nickels because they are aren’t worth a dime.
We extend a heartfelt thanks to all of the dedicated and compassionate caregivers and staff from the Village and Amedisys Morgantown Hospice Care, as well as to the many health providers who cared for Paul over the years.
A private family ceremony will be held on Thursday, July 21 prior to Paul’s interment at Beechwood Cemetery in Alma.
A celebration of Paul’s life will be held at the Village at Heritage Point, 1 Heritage Point, Morgantown, from 2-4 p.m., with remarks at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 23. All friends and family are invited to join the Thomas’s and share in the wonderful memories that Paul leaves behind.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Paul’s honor to support the Augusta Levy Learning Center, West Virginia’s first intensive autism treatment program, 210 Anthony Ave., Wheeling, WV 26003; or help support future green thumbs with a gift to the Tyler County High School’s FFA Greenhouse, one of Paul’s favorite places for flowers and plants, 1993 Silver Knight Drive, Sistersville, WV 26175.
