Marco Y Memorializes “Incredible Guy”

When Chuck Thomas passed away unexpectedly on October 8 at age 87, friends from Rockford, Illinois to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, to Marco Island were left with quite a void. The Marco YMCA's board of directors decided to honor Thomas by adding his name to their popular bike tour. All 246 riders in Sunday’s Tour de Marco wore shirts with Chuck Thomas Memorial Ride silk screened under the tour’s familiar logo.

“Chuck was on the YMCA board for many years,” said Joe Contarino, who served with Thomas on the YMCA board of directors. “He helped guide the Y through many capital improvement projects and social programs. But more importantly he gave up his personal time by volunteering to give back to the YMCA. What an incredible guy.”

Thomas was an incredible guy. A graduate of Georgetown Law School, Thomas enjoyed a 61-year career as an attorney. He also met the love of his life, Sue, while at Georgetown. Sue Thomas knows that her husband would be happy to know his name has been attached to the Tour de Marco.

“I know he would be pleased and honored that it happened,” said Sue Thomas, “so I’m happy.” In addition to his accomplished career as an attorney, Thomas gave back to all of the communities he lived in, serving on a long list of impressive boards. He was chairman of BancServe Group, director of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce, chairman of the Winnebago County Housing Authority, and board president of St. Anthony Medical Center, to name just a few.

Thomas is also known for his love of sports, including bicycling.

“Chuck was a loyal, generous, humble guy that lived a very full, interesting life,” Contarino said. “He played golf with President Dwight Eisenhower, hot air ballooned with Neil Armstrong and taught JFK Jr. how to fly an ultralight. He competed in over 150 triathlons."

"So many people have come for the Tour de Marco,” Sue Thomas said. "My kids have come - not all of them. Some of them are here, some of them are riding. We had a couple from Lake Geneva come all the way from there for this. It’s only been a little over four months - and it was sudden. We were married 63 years. We celebrated our anniversary just four days before he passed away. I didn’t expect it. It’s a big loss. I’m very appreciative to the Y for doing this.”

Sue didn’t realize that her husband’s name will live on with the Tour de Marco year after year.

"I didn’t know till recently that they were going to make it every year,” Thomas said. "I thought it was just going to be this year. He did do a lot for the Y and I know they appreciate what he did. He was just such a good person. We did lead an amazing life. But my husband was the leader. I was just the follower. Believe me."