Thomas W. Nokes
September 15, 1916 – May 17, 2012
Thomas W. Nokes was born 9/15/1916 in Seattle, WA, #5 of 10 children, to Edward E. and Annie S. Nokes. Passed away 5/17/2012 in San Antonio, TX at the age of 95.
Tom married his wife Carol in Seattle, WA on 12/26/1945. She passed away 9/5/98 after 52 years of marriage. He is survived by sons Robert E. Nokes and wife Carol of San Antonio, TX and Michael H. Nokes and wife Janice of Rochester, WA, 12 grandchildren, 22 great grandchildren and 12 great-great grandchildren and predeceased by a son Fred Nokes of Springfield, OR 9/29/2005. He enjoyed being called Dad, Pa, and Papa by all of those he loved.
He moved to San Antonio, TX in February 2009 to be close to family and warmer weather.
As a young man he served with the Civilian Conservation Corp, driving truck for the U.S. Forestry department in the Olympic Mountains of Washington State. He also worked in the family fuel business and Great Northern Railroad. He served with the 36th Combat Engineers Regiment during WWII through Africa, Italy, France, Germany and Austria. He was a lifetime member of the V.F.W. Honored at Fort Knox, KY in 1994 and again at Fort Hood, TX in 2010 for his participation in the landing at Anzio Beach in 1944. He lived on Bainbridge Island, in Bellevue and Issaquah, WA before moving to Woodburn, OR where he loved to garden and play golf. He was an avid sports fan, especially baseball – founding Bainbridge Boys Athletic program, coaching little league and Babe Ruth league baseball for many years. Played on the same baseball team with four brothers in Seattle in the 30’s and 40’s, played winter ball with the Los Angeles Police Dept. while working at the May Co. and professional baseball with the Boise Pilots in the Pioneer League in 1939. He was an avid fan of the Seattle Mariners and Seattle Sea Hawks. He enjoyed building bird houses and novelties from beach wood which he gifted through the years.
Burial will be at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland, OR with military honors at 1:00 PM, Monday, June 4th. Condolences may be placed online at www.musgroves.com/obituaries.cfm.
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