James Mike Thomas

HUNTINGDON - Mr. James Michael “Mike” Thomas, 70 of Huntingdon, Tennessee, died Wednesday, June 28, 2023, at his home.

Funeral services were conducted Saturday, July 8, 2023 at 11 a.m. at Huntingdon Church of Christ with elder Munci Hutch and elder Robert Anderson officiating.  Interment followed at Carroll Memorial Gardens.

James Michael Thomas was born September 12, 1952 in Huntingdon, Tennessee to John B.

Thomas and Lillie Mae Buckley. He professed a hope in Christ at an early age and joined the St.

Paul Baptist Church in Huntingdon. He attended public schools in Carroll County.

Mike worked at Wilson Hospital as an orderly. He received an Emergency Medical Technician

certification from Jackson State, in Jackson Tennessee. As an EMT, Mike worked at Carroll

County Memorial Hospital for 25 years and Baptist Memorial Hospital for 10 years. Following

his retirement, he worked for Carroll County, in Huntingdon, Tenn. until his death.

Through the years he became interested in horticulture and attended classes. His love of

horticulture developed into a landscaping business. Working in the yard and landscaping was

therapeutic for Mike.

Mike began running for fitness with friend, Dr. Scott Portis, in the 1980s. His fitness regimen

developed into a passion for running marathons. His competitive spirit earned him a qualification

for the Boston Marathon. The town of Huntingdon sponsored Mike’s first race in the Boston Marathon.

Mike ran the Boston Marathon nine consecutive times. In all, Mike competed in a

total of 40 marathons.

On August 18, 1973, Mike married his childhood friend, Linda Ann Long. To this union, they

have three sons, Calvin, Marcus, and Jonathan. Mike and Linda would have celebrated 50 years

of marriage on August 18, 2023.

He leaves to cherish his memories: his devoted wife, Lynn, and three sons, Calvin B. Long

(Nancy Long) of Auburn, Mass., Marcus D. and Jonathan M. Thomas of Millington, Tenn., one

daughter, Monica Cooper and her daughters, Savannah and Sha-quanda Cooper, who live in

Indianapolis, Indiana, Tony Cooper (deceased). He also leaves his mother, Lillie Mae Thomas of

Huntingdon, his brothers, Anthony L. Thomas of Huntingdon, Galen Thomas (Tani

Thomas), of El Paso, Texas, Timothy Thomas of Nashville, Tenn., 12 grandchildren, along with a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives and friends.

Chase Funeral Home of Huntingdon had charge of arrangements.