Brian P. Thoms' Obituary
Brian Paul Thoms, 64, of Clinton, passed away peacefully at his home on Wednesday, December 8, 2021.
There will be a private family service to celebrate Brian's life. The Snell-Zornig Funeral Homes & Crematory is assisting the family.
Brian was born on June 1, 1957, in Clinton, Iowa, the son of Jackson and Cheral (Petersen) Thoms. He was a 1975 graduate of Clinton High School and graduated from Iowa Central Community College in 1977 with a Broadcasting degree.
Brian loved music and utilized his college degree by working for several years in Lompoc, CA as a broadcaster at K-ROCK Station under the handle "Big River" honoring his love and pride growing up on the Mississippi River. He returned home to work as a broadcaster with KROS in Clinton, ending his professional career at Custom Pak in DeWitt for 24 years. He retired in August 2017 and devoted his retirement years to working at Clinton MTA driving a paratransit bus serving the disabled and elderly.
Brian was a life-long, die-hard fan of both the Iowa Hawkeyes and Chicago White Sox. He was very proud to serve as a guardian on multiple Honor Flights and volunteered his time by driving veterans to the VA Medical Center in Iowa City. For many years, Brian volunteered as a Little League baseball coach and was loved by his players and their families. Everyone who knew Brian, knew he loved to walk - weather didn't matter - he could be seen walking on Camanche Ave every single day of his life smiling and waving to those he knew. He also participated in several local 5K events and often medaled in his age group. Above all, Brian adored his family & friends, and was proud to be a Thoms.
Brian is survived by his siblings: David (Christine) Thoms of Lecanto, Florida, and Laurel (Tom) Day of Coralville, Iowa; nephew: Jacob (Erin) Thoms; nieces: Janey Day, Kate Day, and Erin (Dwight) Mack; his beloved great-nephew A.J. and great-niece Nevaeh; his puppy, Winnie, and many aunts, uncles, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, grandparents; sister-in-law: Linda Thoms; Uncles: Jim Petersen, Robert Thoms, Gary Thoms, and Russ Kratz; and Aunts: Jeri Kay Hunter, Janice Turner, Betty Kratz, Jane Thoms, and Martha Thoms.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be given in Brian's memory to The Honor Flight of the Quad Cities. Brian always ended his phone calls and every text with the same phrase and it only seem fitting that we do the same for him, with that said, Brian, this one's for you - GO HAWKS!
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