Long-time Greensboro Colt Baseball leader, Page Pirate clock operator, and local sports coach/volunteer Dave Thomas passed away on Sunday night

He worked in the Greensboro Colt Baseball program for over 30 years, he was the clock operator at Page High School for Pirate basketball for over 30 years, and he was an umpire and he volunteered within various Greensboro sports program for nearly 40 years and we lost a good one on Sunday, with the death of Dave Thomas…..

Dave Thomas was in his 70’s and he died from a heart attack on Sunday night and more details are forth coming….

This past baseball season, Dave Thomas kept the scorebook and was a big help on the sidelines to Alan Ashkinazy and the Oak Ridge Military Academy baseball program…..

There was never any doubt about the way Dave felt on certain issues and he would always be ready to speak his mind, when it came to sports and the local sports landscape in particular, but with Dave Thomas, he was sincere in all he did and he didn’t do it halfway……He went all-out in all he did and tried to do what he thought was the right thing; the right thing, that would helpd the local kids/athletes……

Dave Thomas made many trips with the Greensboro Colt Baseball All-Star teams, when they would travel out to Lafayette, Indiana, for the Colt World Series….Most everyone on the Colt Baseball National Board of Directors knew and respected Dave Thomas……Jack Jacobs, Larry Moore, Donnie Stowe and others knew how much Dave Thomas meant to the Greensboro Colt Baseball program, over the years…..

No matter where you were, if Dave Thomas knew you, he would come up to speak to you and often times, he would be shaking his head and then you knew you were in for a major discussion, on the issues effecting our local sports programs……

I always respected Dave Thomas, because with him there was no middle ground, Dave let you know where he stood and if he had to stand alone he would, and then he would still make an impact……

You could not shut this man down, although health issues plagued him in recent years…….Dave died on Sunday, but I bet if you bring his name up to anyone that has been associated with local Colt Baseball in the past 35-40 years, or mention Dave’s name to any of the long-time Page Pirate coaches or boosters and they will either smile or shake their head too, cause they will remember Dave Thomas…..

I still remember back in the late 80’s, at the Colt Baseball World Series in Lafayette, Indiana, with the Greensboro team right in the middle of the Championship hunt and they wanted to get the Winner’s Bracket game on the radio and they didn’t have anyone out there to call the game……It was like the old days when they would say, “Is there a doctor in the house?”, and the old man in the back of the room would say, “I’m not a doctor, but I’ll give it try”…..And that’s what Dave did, to the best of his ability, he got on the radio and he called the game…..

That’s the way Dave did it all,”To the best of his ability” and that’s a good way to remember him….So gave some, but Dave gave all……You might have to get Dave’s opinion along with his inserted effort, but it was all worth it, in the long run……

Dave Thomas, thanks for the run and the work that you have done, you helped make the games fun, for many a local kid……..

*****Local high school basketball official Paul Spruiell, also passed away this past weekend from a heart attack and we will have more details on Paul’s passing, when they become available…..*****