Hugh L. Thomas died peacefully on April 24, 2019 in Creston California.  On March 1st he celebrated his 90 ^th birthday with many friends and family.  He lived a long, full and richly rewarding life.

Hugh was born in Pacific Palisades on March 1, 1929 in his parent's home which was largely country then.  He was the only one of his family to be born in the U.S., as his parents, brother and sister immigrated from Wales, years before.  His father, Lewis Thomas was a tailor and had one of the three businesses in Pacific Palisades at that time.  He tailored and made clothing for many in the movie industry, including his good friend, Will Rogers.  At a young age, Hugh was taken to the beach by his older brother and sister, David and Olwen, and he grew up loving, living and working on the ocean.

Hugh grew up in church and in Boy Scouts, developing a love for the Sierras and outdoor life.  As a child, Hugh wanted to be a trapper and his friends called him Trapper Thomas.  Upon graduation from high school, Hugh boarded a bus and went to Oregon to work in a lumber camp for 3 months.  When he came home in the fall, he enrolled in college.  To put himself through school, Hugh worked as a janitor in the school labs, a lifeguard on the Los Angeles beaches and diving for lobster and abalone. Following this period he was in the Coast Guard for 2 years.

He decided to become a fish and game warden, and that time, 4 years on the highway patrol was required for that career. He finished that phase and began as a warden on the beaches of Long Beach, advising his former fishing cronies that he was now on the side of the law and if he caught them in a violation, he would write them a ticket.  Hugh married and had two wonderful children during this time, before he transferred to Georgetown in northern California.

In Georgetown, Hugh met his dear friend Ray Nilsson and together they worked that district in the Sierras.  Hugh was well acquainted with the ranchers and loggers of the area and developed great friendships there.  He would help the ranchers in the spring drive the cattle to the high meadows for summer feed and again in the fall to bring the cattle back down for winter pasture.  During this time Hugh instilled in Leslie and Greg a love for wildlife, the outdoors and God. He was a deacon in the Garden Valley Church and helped build it.

After several years in the Sierras, Hugh transferred to Morro Bay.  At this time, he was captain, supervising 5 counties and assisting to develop the dive program for the department of fish and game. He got his private pilot's license to travel from Morro Bay to Monterey, Sacramento, or Ft Brag in northern California. It was at this time, he met his wife, Leona at the airport where a mutual friend worked.  They married in 1981 at the Sign of the Cross in Parkfield, and the two families merged. During this time, while patrolling remote areas, Hugh again developed a great friendship with many of the ranchers in Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties.

When Hugh left Fish and Game, he worked for Ducks Unlimited as a regional director. His area of supervision at times covered Arizona, central and southern California.  He helped start fund raising events to develop wildlife and waterfowl habitat in the U S, Canada and Mexico. During all these years he found time to be on the ski patrol for 10 years and commercial fish salmon in Alaska for 10 years. And of course, hunting and fishing for sport were a part of his life throughout this time.

After retiring from Ducks Unlimited, Hugh did some contract work for the state before taking up commercial fishing again in the local waters.  For many years, he fished out of a kayak off the coast of San Luis Obispo and Monterey.  He then began fishing out of Avila and developed a special friendship with many of the fishermen there. Throughout this time he was in church at the Church of the Good Shepherd and later Vintage Community Church.

Hugh is survived by his wife, Leona; son, Greg Thomas; daughter Leslie Sears; stepsons, John Botts and Mike Botts and stepdaughter, Lori Lawhead; grandchildren Ryan Botts, Randy Botts, Travis Thomas, Michael Lawhead, and Amy Lawhead. Also his great grandchildren, Eli, Anna and Kaitlyn Botts; Jessy, Jessa and Jayda Archuletta. Many nieces, nephews and friends.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Central Coast Home Health and Hospice in Hugh's name. The address is 253 Granada Drive, Ste. #D; San Luis Obispo, CA 93401