Jackie Thomas, Jr.

Jack Thomas, 67, husband of Janey Roehm Thomas and a resident of Exmore, VA, entered safely into the arms of his Savior, Jesus Christ Friday, February 19, 2021.

Born on April 8, 1953, he was the son of the late Jackie Thomas and the late Mary Wilson Mears. Jack was a 1971 graduate of Northampton High School.  Upon graduation, he proudly chose to serve his country in the United States Navy. After he retired in 1993, he was employed by the Northampton County Sherriff’s Department and worked for Accomack County Department of Social Services until 2016.

In addition to his loving wife, Jack is survived by four children, Shawn Thomas and his companion, Toni Davenport, Nathan Thomas and his companion, Meghan Wickman, Greg Allman and his wife, Jaclyn, and Ashley Buscher and her husband, Robert; a sister, Trish Harismendy; a brother, Jeffery Mears; four grandchildren; two great grandchildren; and his beloved dogs, Gracie and Piper. He was predeceased by a granddaughter, Paige Stinnelt.

In 1997, Jack’s life changed completely when he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.  He loved to share how he was once a lost soul but then Jesus saved him and that changed everything.

Passionate about music and wanting to use his gifts and talents to glorify the Lord, he began leading worship at Exmore Baptist Church.  Jack started a Christian group called Practicing Praise in which he sang and played a variety of instruments. The group’s name was significant because he wanted to remind people that he was just practicing praise until the day that he would praise Jesus forever in all His glory for eternity.

Jack was also dedicated to the saving of the unborn. In 2001 he and the group Practicing Praise began to hold concerts in churches up and down the Eastern Shore of Virginia and beyond, to bring awareness to the value of human life.  The prolife mission of the Accomack-Northampton Pregnancy Center was important to Jack. During the concerts, a love offering was collected and given to the ANPC. Jack, nor anyone in his group, ever received a penny for all of their hard work and dedication. The group raised thousands of dollars over the course of 20 years for the ministry.  The concerts were also an opportunity for Jack to share his testimony of God’s goodness and transforming power, which he did, unashamedly.

In 2019, Jack was diagnosed with cancer.  Even that did not stop his passion for Christ, life, the unborn and his music.   As soon as he was able, he became the weekly worship leader for Cape Charles Baptist Church.

Jack played at many churches and venues throughout the years, enjoying crowds of people who came to the concerts. No matter how many were there, he never lost sight that this was all just practice and that he was really singing to an audience of One. His desire was to see Jesus glorified through it all.

Friends and family are invited to celebrate Jack’s life Saturday, February 27th, 2021, at 2:00 PM at the Exmore Baptist Church Outreach Center, 11624 Occohannock Road, Exmore, VA, with Pastors Jonathan Carpenter and Russell Goodrich officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Exmore Baptist Church, 11624 Occohannock Road, Exmore, VA 23350 or Cape Charles Baptist Church, 501 Randolph Ave., Cape Charles, VA 23310.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.doughtyfuneralhome.com

Arrangements were made by Doughty Funeral Home in Exmore, Virginia.