Donald ("Donny") Clifford Thomas, Jr. passed away on June 15, 2022, at the Manor Pines Convalescent Center, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Donny's home was in Margate, Florida, where he lived with his beloved dog, Tank (the 2nd), who will miss him terribly. Donny is survived by his daughters, Bonnie (Andrew),

Shannon (Russell), and Sally; Grandsons Colin, Christopher, and Jesse; Beloved sisters Barbara and Kathy; Uncle and great uncle to his nieces and nephews, their children, and their children's children – his "grand" nieces and nephews, and their spouses and partners. Their visits, calls, Facetime videos, encouraging Facebook posts and text messages were the bright spots of his days throughout his final months.

Donny cherished his lifelong friends in New York and Florida. Many of them started as friendly neighbors and became great friends through their children popping by for a visit to his house after school, the backyard barbecues at their respective homes, and most importantly, the mutual support given during tough times, with a shared open-door policy that spanned decades.

He left his daughters with memories of learning woodwork sitting the long workbench in the garage with the television playing and the smells of sawdust and motor oil at the house they grew up in, camping on the east end of Long Island, days spent at car shows, road trips to Virginia and to every family attraction he could think of on visitation weekends. He taught them how to shoot at the range and the useful skills for maintaining a home without needing to ask for help fathers typically share with their sons. Their collective favorite memories are of marathon Scrabble games that began in the afternoon and finished late into the evening.

Donny served in the United States Air Force, then built a career as an auto mechanic and self-taught carpenter, builder, and handyman. From wooden toys to custom closets, his talent remains beautifully displayed in the homes of many, as well as the places he built and remodeled in both New York and Florida. He owned multiple businesses over his lifetime, as a builder and repairman of just about anything that needed fixing.

Donny loved history and "how it's made" shows. He'd pass on what he learned when anyone stopped by for a chat. He was happy to offer a tutorial on how to fix an engine, or an invitation to cruise the neighborhood in one of the classic cars he collected and restored to mint condition. A ride around the block became a fun event wrought with nostalgia.

He was still coming up with clever ideas for inventions and businesses that he'd share with his children on their visits to Florida, even in recent years. Despite the challenges of living with Parkinson's Disease, just weeks before he died, he told one of them he planned to "take a break" from the hospital so he could go home and "tinker around and fix a couple of things." He most certainly made the physical effort to realize that goal and he always found something positive to say, encouraging his family to "look on the bright side" – minimizing his suffering to comfort them, rather than exercise his right to complain.

Donny was a quiet person whose sentimental nature was reflected throughout his home in photo albums and framed pictures of friends, family, and the dogs he rescued from the pound throughout the years. His collection dates back to his father's baby picture and his own school days and the friends he met along the way. He kept his children's birth announcements, greeting cards from over the years, and letters received before the Internet existed. Dresser drawers in his guest rooms house memorabilia collected over time that he labeled long before he passed - instructing that they be given to his grandsons.

Donny will be best remembered for his love and devotion to his family, and as a helper, who availed himself to those he loved, as well as strangers he met along the way. He also had a dry sense of humor and loved a good practical joke. With this, it seems only fitting to extract a quote from his all-time favorite singer - The King - to describe him:

"A little less fight and a little more spark. Close your mouth and open your heart."