M. Ross Thomas
Died June 2, 2014
Ross prepared for Yale at Oak Park High School in Oak Park, IL, and the Taft School. He resided in Silliman, majored in philosophy and played freshman and varsity football.
In the 1965 class book, Ross predicted his career would be in medicine. Ross obtained his M.D. degree in 1970 from Chicago Medical School, where he was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha, the medical honorary society, followed by a residency in Internal Medicine and an Allergy and Immunology Fellowship at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He then moved to Omaha where he joined the staff of the Midwest Allergy and Asthma Clinic and practiced in the field of allergies, asthma and other respiratory problems for more than 30 years in Omaha.
According to his obituary in the Omaha World-Herald, Ross was engaged in a personal battle for the past ten years with Lewy body dementia, a condition similar to both Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease, that causes cognitive decline.
Ross’s wife, Lynda, recalls that they first met at a Christmas Eve service at a church in New Jersey where both sets of parents attended but didn’t start dating until they later reconnected under unusual circumstances. Lynda remembered: “I was out flying a kite during spring break and Ross ran through my kite string with his convertible…He was a genuinely kind man of big words. He was extremely intelligent.”
Ross passed away at Hillcrest Country Estates in Papillion, NE, on June 2, 2014, survived by his wife, Lynda, daughter Heather Thomas, M.D., son Zachary, brother Mark and three grandchildren.
John Ferguson remembers:
Ross Thomas, one of two roommates, having completed med school and residency (Allergy medicine) moved to Omaha, NE where he spent his entire professional career. Ross was an avid sportsman, having played football at Yale and enjoyed all sports especially golf in his adult years. Ross passed June 2, 2014 following a long battle with Lewy Body Dementia. Ross leaves his wife Linda and two children, Heather Thomas and Zac Thomas. Ross enjoyed a long life as an excellent physician and was touted to be one of the very best physicians in Omaha in multiple ways. John F Ferguson ’65
David Tracy remembers:
I was sorry to hear from John that you had passed away this summer as we had lost contact. I still have that varsity #23 jersey you happened to “ discover” on the locker room floor at seasons end. Four years of football – you never gave up. And I still remember those countless afternoons we spent trying to master the Yale golf course to no avail. I’ve played it twice a year for years with no better success. Those were good years. Rest in peace.