Jack Gordon Thomas

Jack Gordon Thomas, age 98, passed away in his home on Sunday, October 25, 2026.

Gordon was born on May 18, 1928, in Moroni, Utah, to John Thomas and Minnie Facer. The oldest of seven children, Gordon was raised in Ferron, Utah, during the Great Depression. Being part of a large family at such a difficult period in history, Gordon learned early the value of hard work and dependability. He began a checking account at the age of 12, and he earned money digging ditches and cleaning chicken coops and cattle stalls. Throughout his life, whether ranching cattle, fixing cars, or designing supermarkets, Gordon was always known as an honest and hardworking man who could be trusted to do a job with integrity.

On June 10, 1948, Gordon married the love of his life, Roma Magnuson, in the Manti Utah Temple. They started their life together in an old log home in Castle Dale with no indoor plumbing. To support his wife and three small, active boys, Gordon did ranch work and was a cowboy through and through. He would be gone on long cattle drives for weeks at a time—grazing large herds along the San Rafael Swell during the winter, and the Manti-La Sal National Forest in the summer. Gordon loved listening to the Bar-J-Wranglers because they sang about horses, ranching, cowboy hats, and lariats.

In 1954, at Roma’s request, Gordon moved his young family to Salt Lake City, where he worked for BF Goodrich until being offered a position at Associated Food Stores. He spent 36 years with Associated Foods as a store engineer designing the inside of supermarkets. From start to finish, Gordon would lay out the entire store: check stands, bakery, refrigeration, etc. Gordon put it all together on drafting paper, then saw it all come together like a puzzle.

Gordon loved the outdoors. He and Roma regularly took their family of seven children camping, fishing, and hiking. They visited Yellowstone, Zions, the Uintas, Joe's Valley, and Rock Candy Mountain, but his favorite place was Fish Lake, Utah. For many years, Gordon regularly rented a fishing boat and equipped each of his kids with a fishing license and gear. He would wake up in the early morning, shake each of his children out of their sleeping bags, and head out onto the lake at 6am. Gordon taught his family how to bait a hook, patiently wait for the fish to bite, and gut and clean fish. He would return to camp, mix a bunch of spices into a bowl of flour, then fry the rainbow trout on a cast iron grill. Gordon would admit that he wasn't much of a cook, but when it came to Dad’s trout, his family would eat every bite.

Wood-working was Gordon's passion. He was known for his intricate hand-made semi-trucks, classic cars, dump trucks, tractors, and other construction vehicles. He used scrap wood, discarded tuna fish cans, rubber from bicycle tires, and wooden dowels, and spent hours designing and constructing his vehicles. From the wooden tires to the treads on the tractors, every piece was hand-crafted to fit perfectly into place. Once at the Utah State Fair, his trucks were disqualified because the judges thought he had used a kit to make them. Little did they know, he had carved every piece of wood with special tools and a lot of creativity. Gordon couldn't carry a tune, paint a picture, or cook a gourmet meal. He would be the first to say he didn't have an ounce of creativity, but his trucks and cars tell a different story.

Gordon loved the gospel of Jesus Christ and served faithfully in many church responsibilities. After he retired, he and Roma served together in the Eugene, Oregon mission.

While we will miss Gordon greatly, we know there was a wonderful reunion in heaven when he passed through the veil. Gordon was preceded in death by three sons: Philip, Ralph, and Dick; as well as his beloved wife Roma. He is survived by children David (Pam) Thomas, Stuart (LuAnn) Thomas, Joni (Paul) Cheney, and Steve Thomas; 15 grandchildren; and 34 great-grandchildren.

A viewing will be held from 6:00-8:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 29, 2026, at the Russon Farmington Mortuary, 1941 North Main Street in Farmington, Utah. Graveside services will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, October 30, 2026, at the Bountiful City Cemetery, 2224 South 200 West in Bountiful, Utah.