Larry C. Thomas' Obituary
Larry C. Thomas, Sr., age 79 of Annapolis, MD and West Fenwick, DE passed away on November 20, 2025, following a brief illness. He was born in Washington, DC on June 13, 1946, and was loved by his wife, Jody Pappas Thomas; his son, Larry “Craig” Thomas, Jr. and his wife Meryl; his daughter Leigh C. Velez, her husband Daniel, and his granddaughter, Elena. He was survived by his three sisters, Carol Whittington, Kathy Stelle, and Eileen Weaver (David); his stepbrother, Larry Elliott, half-brothers, Al and Frank Knapp; and many beloved cousins, nephews, and nieces.
Larry was in the first class to graduate from Springbrook High School in Silver Spring, MD. He went on to obtain an associate degree in Fire Services from Montgomery College. During his twenty-year career with the Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service at the Hillendale and Silver Spring stations, Larry was promoted to Shift Commander, Station Commander, and Lieutenant.
His love of fishing and boating was inspired by summers spent with his grandfather Max Cooper on the Chesapeake Bay in Deale, MD. Fishing became more than a hobby when Larry launched Chesapeake Bay Adventures, a destination management company in Anne Arundel County, MD. He served on the Board of the Maryland Tourism Council and was active in numerous other trade and professional organizations.
After he sold his last charter boat, Larry went to work for the State of Maryland as an administrator at the Department of Natural Resources and eventually retired from his role as the Deputy Director, Secretary’s Office, Maryland Department of Transportation.
The family will have a private spreading of the ashes on the Chesapeake at a later date. Donations in Larry’s memory can be made to your local burn foundation or to the Roxana Volunteer Fire Company, Station Two, “Capital Campaign” at https://www.roxana90.com/.
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