Keith Robert Thomas

Keith Robert Thomas Age 61, of Blaine, passed away March 3, 2017 at Abbott Northwestern Hospital with his loving wife and immediate family at his side. Keith was preceded in death by his father, Jack Thomas. Survived by his loving wife Pammy Kay, mother Joan Thomas of Fridley, brother Bruce (Julie) Thomas of Robbinsdale, daughters Trisha (Matthew) Harakel of Flensburg, Meagan (Mike Betz) Thomas of Minnetonka, Regina (Chad) Woolson of Blaine, Catrina (Roy) Mujwid-Cole of New Hope, Todd (Rosalva Hernandez) Mujwid of Isanti, grandchildren Deryk and Hanna Harakel, Lydia Skoglund, Evan and Collin Woolson; Ben, Adam and Zak Cole; Cyrus, Gage and Austin Hernandez, Ethan and Katelyn Swenson. Keith was born on November 27, 1955 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He graduated from Fridley Senior High School. After high school, Keith worked odd jobs and eventually became an over- the-road truck driver, owning his own small fleet of semi-trucks. Keith was married in 1979 and they eventually divorced in 2002. Keith traveled across the country through his job and had many unique experiences, such as visiting the over-wintering sites of monarch butterflies in California, and taking in the scenery at Niagara Falls, as well as many other natural and manmade sites. He had traveled to just about everywhere in the continental United States. Keith suffered a severe heart attack in 1997 which ended his truck driving career and then he began employment with API as a dispatcher. From Keith’s previous marriage he had two beautiful daughters, Trisha and Meagan, who he loved dearly and would have done nearly anything for them. Keith remarried in 2007 to Pammy Kay after they moved to Blaine, Minnesota in 2004. Pam’s mother Bernice lived with them in Blaine until her death in 2010. Keith affectionately referred to her as “Granny”, and they enjoyed watching Days of Our lives together. Keith embraced and loved Pam’s three children as if they were his own. He was a kind, loving and warm grandfather to all of his grandkids and really was hoping to be there for their future milestones in life (although he may not have said it that way). Keith cared deeply for his family. He was immensely proud of his children’s accomplishments and amazed at what they could do. He cherished hearing all about his grandchildrens’ lives and attended as many functions as he could. Keith had a unique sense of humor and could bring a smile to their faces with gentle teasing. Keith and Pam met later in their lives and shared a mutual passion for riding motorcycles, but Keith’s love of motorcycles began when he was a teenager. He worked on motorcycles in his family’s garage and did repairs for people he knew. As the years passed, he became an accomplished motorcycle mechanic and built numerous motorcycles for himself as well as re-building bikes for friends and acquaintances, who learned of his high level of skill and knowledge. He spent many, many hours ‘wrenching’ on bikes. Of course Keith not only fixed bikes, but he rode them as well. There were many reasons Keith loved to ride. He got to see the country in a much more intimate, free and relaxed manner. The open-road afforded him a freedom not felt anywhere else. He liked feeling the wind in his hair, sun beating down on his face and the occasional bug in his teeth. Through his travels he met many people and became long term friends with many of the men and a few women. Keith enjoyed the camaraderie of fellow riders he met while on trips to Sturgis and the surrounding landscapes of the Black Hills, the Badlands, Keystone, Deadwood and other areas near the town of Sturgis. Keith’s first trip to Sturgis was in 1976 and he continued the annual pilgrimage to this iconic motorcycle rally for another 38 years. It was on one of his trips to Sturgis where he first met the love of his life, his wife, Pam, or “Pammy Kay”, as only Keith affectionately referred to her. It wasn’t love at first sight, but a love which developed after many years of knowing one another and slowly getting closer. Keith loved Pammy Kay with all of his heart and the two of them made a perfect pair as they ‘built’ a life together. They road their bikes to Sturgis together for several years and eventually had to ‘trailer’ their bikes to the rally as Keith’s health issues increased and made it unsafe for him to ride long distances on the motorcycle. Keith continued to make the trip to Sturgis until last year when he missed the rally for the first time. He and Pammy made the most of their time together. They traveled to Alaska on a cruise in 2013 and got to see the open ocean, whales and visit the one state Keith had not previously traveled to. When not traveling, Keith enjoyed the company of close friends and his family. He could often be seen in the garage and giving a wave to neighbors as they passed by (and throwing the occasional hammer at errant joy-riding boys). He was generous with his smiles, helping with anything that he could. Keith will be missed by all who knew him, especially his family, friends and his devoted wife. Memorial Service will be held on: Monday April 3, 2 pm with gathering one hour prior, at Washburn-McReavy Chapel, 1827 Coon Rapids Blvd, Coon Rapids, MN. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation for his wife to assist with covering outstanding medical expenses.

Tributes

Keith Robert Thomas

March 3, 2017

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