Mr. Llewellyn McDonald Thomas
July 19, 1947 – October 28, 2021
Dearly Missed But Never Forgotten
“I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my lips”. Psalm 34:1
Dad will forever be in our hearts…..
Today we come to celebrate and give thanks to our Heavenly Father for our beloved Dad, grand-daddy, son, brother, nephew, uncle, cousin and friend Llewellyn McDonald Thomas, whom the Lord allowed to bless our lives from 19th July, 1947 to 28th October, 2021. Llewellyn was the fourth child born to Winifred and Ernest Thomas in his beautiful island home of Bermuda. His brothers and sisters called him Lou and so did his friends who also called him Lou Scott, Scotty and Rainbow. Lou was known for giving sage advice and encouragement to family and friends.
His early childhood, teenage, and young adult years were spent in Bermuda where he grew up in Turtle Hill, Southampton. He enjoyed spending time with family and friends including being active in the Boys Brigade in which he had lots of fun. Lou was kindhearted and his sister Deborah remembers when Lou brought her a mobylette motorcycle for doing well in school. His brother Eugene shared how he and Lou were so close that people thought they were twins and how Lou readily allowed him to resided at Lou’s residence. Marionette recalls when Lou visited her family in California and the great time they had cooking and baking. He taught his nephew Larry Stanton to bake bread that comes out almost as good as Lou’s bread, which is second to none. His kindness also extended to his close friends Roland, Llewellyn and Andrew. Roland said whenever he visited the USA, Lou insisted that he stay at his home. He described their friendship as closer than a skin graft. When Andrew came to visit Lou, he would always leave with bread that Lou had packed for him. Llewellyn shared how Lou always made time for him. All three close friends described Lou as their brother as his friendship with Roland started in early 1960’s, Llewellyn early 1970”s and Andrew in 1980’s. So Lou has three additional “brothers”, all of whom have fond memories of their brother Lou and their trusting friendships.
Lou was Dad to his eight children, Roy, Troy, Brandy “Kenyetta”, Poncho, Ronnie, Stephanie, Tiffany and Kaylon whom he loved. It was his desire that all the children would come together for a family reunion. He would often drive up to visit with the children who stayed in Maryland or they would visit him in Alabama. They knew he loved God and wanted everyone to be saved.
Lou’s formative years of education was at the Heron Bay School and the Prospect Secondary School for Boys. From an early age Lou was an industrious young boy and his first part-time job was as a caddy on the golf course. At the age of sixteen years old he commenced employment at the Carlton Beach Hotel in the construction field and later worked in the hotel dining room.
Lou had a passion and a talent for singing. He started singing in the Sounds of Allen church choir. In the early 1960’s to the early 1970’s he and his brother Eugene “Gene” formed the group the Rainbows along with David Burch, Kenny Todd and later Archie Douglas who replaced Kenny. The group was renown in Bermuda and performed around the island participating in the Battle of the Groups in which the Rainbows won the competition. They performed at the Forty Thieves night club and were the supporting acts for such groups as the Temptations and Gladys Nights and the Pips. Gladys Nights and the Pips actually visited them at their family home. Later they travelled to New York City and sang at amateur night at the world famous Apollo Theatre located in New York. The Group went on to record two songs entitled “Never Walk Away from You” in which Lou sang the lead; and the other was “Rainy Days” with Archie Douglas singing lead.
Lou’s love for music extended to him playing the bugle in the Bermuda Artillery Band for three years. He performed at various parades especially at the Veterans Day parades.
He also enjoyed soccer and would often watch soccer games with his friends, even though they were in different locations and would discuss the games as they were being played.
Lou had leadership skills that was evident in his street life, business life and later evident in his spiritual life. Of course Lou thought he was always right, and one day when dialoguing with a friend, the friend said “I feel sorry for your wife as you think you are always right”. To which he had the audacity to reply “my wife should thank God that she has a husband that always right – because I know I am always right”.
In the early 1970’s Lou was involved in the drug trade and had a traumatic experience that changed his life while living in Brooklyn, New York. He gave all the hundreds of thousands of dollars he had acquired through selling drugs to the church and walked away, never to return to that lifestyle. He wanted no part of that lifestyle not even the money because he heard the voice of God calling him to fully dedicate his life in service to God. He left New York with his than wife Angie and came back to Bermuda to drive truck in order to earn enough money to attend Oakwood College, now Oakwood University as a mature student. He took his family and relocated to Huntsville, Alabama and matriculated from Oakwood College in 1987 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology and Social Work which he completed in three years and not the normal four years. Lou was a devoted, dynamic, powerful disciple of God who received many invitations to minister God’s word in many churches throughout Huntsville and Tennessee. He was an ardent bible study instructor who conducted home bible study groups and led many to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives. Lou was resolute in his studies and while still in school, always the entrepreneur, he started his cleaning business with Angie working right beside him. After graduating Lou opened his own business – Lou Thomas Janitorial Services, a very successful business.
From that time onward Lou committed his life to living for the Lord; especially in the last years of his life he was a strong man of faith who lived fully by the word of God to glorify Him and he believed in miracles. His transformed life was a miracle of God’s grace and mercy. Lou was a student of the bible and would study to know God’s will for his life. He authored a book entitled “The Kingdom of God- A Real Place”. He would talk about the goodness of God at all times. Lou did not compromise his values.
Known as a prayer warrior, Lou was ever ready to pray and his prayers made in a difference in the life of the person on whose behalf he was praying. He offered hope, inspiration and encouragement to those with whom he came in contact who needed uplifting. Lou’s walk with God was a testimony and while sick he never wanted anyone to feel sorry for him, for he firmly believed that God the giver of life expects us to live each day with thanksgiving and that God determines when He will put us to rest. He always said when he is laid to rest, the next voice he will hear is the voice of Jesus. The only thing he lived for was to be part of the first resurrection. In the words of Psalm 27:4 Lou would say “One thing I have desired of the Lord that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and enquire in His temple”.
Llewellyn leaves his legacy of the love of his Heavenly Father in Jesus Christ, to his children Roy Thomas, Troy Wilson, Brandy ‘Kenyetta” Long, Poncho, Ronnie Lloyd (Crystal), Stephanie, Tiffany and Kaylon Thomas, grandchildren: Diego Wilson, Kymani Thomas, Giavonni Long, Madison Long, Tayvon Long, Niemah Guity, Barrington Davis IV, Rahseed Quiovers, Zaequann Quiovers, Kyron Clay, Dominic Lloyd, Donovan Lloyd, Kelsey Ramsey, Jacob Stanley, Brayelle Appleton, Brooklynn Appleton-Thomas, and great-grandchildren: Kavonni Chato, Jayden Barnes, Haniyah Quiovers, brother Eugene Thomas; sisters Marionette Jones (Larry), Deborah Thomas-Gilkes (Tony), Valerie Tucker, and Sharon West, nephews, nieces, great-nephews, great-nieces, uncles, aunts, cousins, special friends Roland O’Mara, Llewellyn Gomes, Andrew Forbes and numerous other relatives and friends. Llewellyn will be dearly missed but never forgotten in the hearts of those he loved.
Llewellyn was pre-deceased by his father Ernest Thomas, mother Winfred Y. Bean, brothers Kallan Thomas, Ernest Cann, sisters Juanita Brangman and Carolyn Burgher.
Funeral service will be 10:00 a.m., Friday, November 12, 2021 at Royal Chapel of Memories (4315 Oakwood Avenue Huntsville, Al 35810) with Pastor Nelson Stokes officiating.
Public viewing will be held from 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m., Thursday, November 11, 2021 and 8:30 until 10:00 a.m., Friday, November 12, 2021 at the Royal Funeral Home.
To view the service of Mr. Llewellyn McDonald Thomas, please click on the link below:
https://vimeo.com/event/1471078
Please note the link will not be active until service time at 10:00 a.m., Friday, November 12, 2021
