David Harding Thomas, Sr., 79, passed away peacefully on August 7, 2022, in Nashville, Tennessee. Dave was born on January 27, 1943 in Long Branch, New Jersey to Lloyd Banks Thomas, Sr. and Valerie Tirrell Thomas. The youngest of three siblings, he spent his childhood in Locust, NJ until age 9, when his family moved to Manhattan. David attended secondary school at The Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, and then matriculated at Vanderbilt University, where he served as president of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, and graduated with honors.

After college and a backpacking tour of Europe, Dave briefly served in the New Jersey Army National Guard at Fort Dix. He began his career in publishing and print media at McGraw Hill, then worked for Life Magazine as an advertising salesman, his true calling. Ad sales positions followed at New York, Time, Field & Stream, Financial World, and Mutual Funds magazines.

Known to his family members as "Fred", Dave was an avid golfer, a lover of Labrador retrievers, an ardent reader and an entertaining correspondent. He married Jane Margaret Mawicke in 1969, had two children, and raised his family in Briarcliff Manor, NY. He subsequently resided in Rowayton, CT, Hilton Head, Mount Pleasant, and Charleston, SC, and finally, Nashville, TN. When not playing golf at Sleepy Hollow Country Club, Sea Pines Country Club, or Country Club of Charleston, he preferred to be on a boat or at the beach, always with one of his four-legged best friends, Sally, Molly, or Nelly, at his side. Family was important to him; he generously sponsored vacations at the beach with kids and grandkids which came to be known as "Fredweek". He spent a good deal of his retirement assiduously researching genealogy, proving true the family lore that his ancestry arrived in America during its infancy. In his own words, though, "the most important role in my life's work was that of a father."

David is survived by his sister, Valerie Thomas Hartshorne (Blawenburg, NJ); his wife of 22 years, Jane Thomas Cogswell (divorced) of Stone Mountain, GA; his children, Pamela Thomas Alexander "Pam" (Peter) of Atlanta, GA, and David Harding Thomas, Jr. "Joe" (Betsy) of Franklin, TN; and five grandchildren: Samuel Deane Alexander "Sam", Laura Jane Alexander "Janie", David Harding Thomas, III "Trey", Tyler Banks Thomas, and Tucker Alston Thomas. He is preceded in death by his brother, Lloyd Banks Thomas, Jr.

A private memorial at All Saints' Memorial Church in Navesink, NJ will be planned for early 2023. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to either the Charleston County Public Library at https://charlestonlibraryfriends.charityproud.org/Donate or the Nashville Public Library Foundation at https://nplf.org/general-donation or 615 Church Street, Nashville, TN 37219.

The family invites you to share your thoughts, fond memories, and condolences on line at www.simplecremationtn.com