Dr.
William
Otis "Trey" Thomas, III
(June 19, 1958 - January 29, 2023)
Dr. William O. Thomas III peacefully departed his life on January 29th, 2023. He was preceded in death by his father, William O. Thomas Jr., and his daughter, Margaret Ann Thomas. He is survived by his wife Catherine Thomas, his mother Lillian Thomas, and his five children, Marie Louise Thomas, William Otis Thomas IV, Daniel George Thomas, Lillian Christine Thomas, and Mr. and Mrs. Paul Starnes (Ivy) Thomas. He is also survived by his two brothers, Sam (Dianne) Thomas of Madison, MS and Blake (April) Thomas of Quitman, MS. Dr. Thomas was an active member of St. Fabian Catholic Church where he was the "veteran doctor" and a member of the security team.
Dr. Thomas grew up in Collins, Mississippi and attended Collins Public School. He went on to graduate from Millsaps College with a degree in Chemistry. He then attended University of Mississippi Medical School in Jackson, MS, and afterwards completed his surgical residency at University of South Alabama. It was there that he met his wife, Catherine. After marriage, they moved to New Orleans where he completed his Plastic Surgery training at Tulane University. At the time of his departure, he was a practicing Plastic Surgeon at Hattiesburg Clinic in partnership with Drs. Petra Schneider Redden, Richard Pecunia, and Adam Franklin. He was loved deeply by his office staff and his numerous patients. Dr. Thomas enjoyed his medical work, and loved caring for his patients. He was available at all hours for their every need.
Dr. Thomas also clearly loved his farm work, and could often be seen in his Liberty overalls and work boots – headed to "do some tractoring." He was also an avid hunter and fisherman and enjoyed spending his time with his children on their family land in Utica, MS, and Bassfield, MS. In the tradition of his grandfather, Sam Starnes, Dr. Thomas spent many days mowing grass, tending to fruit trees and vegetable gardens, and passing on this love to his children.
Most of all, he was a loving, devoted, and wonderful provider for his family. They were lacking for none. He leaves behind many cherished memories and will be missed by everyone whose life he touched.
The Mass of Christian Burial for Dr. Thomas will be held at St. Fabian Catholic Church at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 2nd, 2023. The visitation will be held immediately prior to the Mass of Christian Burial from 9:00-11:00 a.m. Dr. Thomas's interment will occur in the Collins Cemetery at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that donations be made to St. Fabian Catholic Church Building Fund or First Baptist Church of Collins, Post Office Box 997, Collins.
St. Fabian Catholic Church | 9 St. Fabian Way Hattiesburg, MS 39402.
