S. Eric Thomas,

 

S. Eric Thomas,

56, passed away at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C. on May 15, 2013, after a battle with cancer.

Eric was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota to W. Lee Thomas and Jean McGrath Thomas on December 29, 1956. The family moved to Grand Marais, on the North Shore of Lake Superior in 1958, after Lee was hired to teach history and coach basketball at Cook County High School.

Eric was the second of five children. He graduated from Cook County High School in 1975 and attended the University of Minnesota, graduating in 1980 with a B.A. in political science.

Eric moved to Washington, D.C. in 1983. He served as assistant press secretary to Minnesota Congressman Gerry Sikorski before becoming a public relations consultant with The Fratelli Group, where he quickly rose to the position of vice president. Eric was highly respected and well liked by his colleagues, clients, and superiors at the company, and was widely admired for his professionalism.

In the days following Eric’s passing, condolences arrived from hundreds of people, including the former ambassador of Columbia, Gabriel Silva, who said “To all of you, my deepest condolences and love in this moment of sorrow for the loss of Eric. I had the beautiful opportunity and privilege of working with Eric in devising the strategy to achieve the approval of the Free Trade Agreement between Columbia and U.S.A. Not only was his insight critical for our success, but his humor, humility, his demeanor, his kindness, and his humanity made that journey a wonderful and unforgettable experience.

“Now, when we are celebrating the first anniversary of the FTA, I want to recognize Eric’s fundamental contribution. The Columbian people, and me personally, will always owe him our gratitude for his efforts. We will always remember him and miss his smile.”

Eric was vibrant, generous, caring, and fun loving. He was a much-loved son, brother, uncle and friend. Eric is survived by his mother Jean Thomas (Yountville, CA), sisters Leah Thomas (Grand Marais), Carah Thomas (Grand Marais), Emily Thomas (Lihue, Kauai, HI), brother Matthew Thomas (Grand Marais), nieces Molly Thomas, Sophia Anderson, Audrey Thomas-Yukimura, and Elise Thomas-Yukimura.

A memorial gathering was held at the Longview Gallery in Washington, D.C. on May 18, 2013, and was attended by more than 250 people, including family, friends, colleagues, and clients.

A memorial gathering will be held in Grand Marais at the Stone’s Throw Room, East Bay Suites, on Saturday, June 15 from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. All are invited.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are requested to the Cook County Historical Society in Grand Marais. Donations will go towards the restoration of the historic Bill Bally Blacksmith Shop. To donate, visit Razoo.com and search Eric Thomas Memorial Fund.