Story
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This page is in tribute to Geoffrey W F Thomas, a man who was a perfect husband, father and grandfather. As he grew up in Kingston-upon-Thames during WWII he developed a love of aviation and, upon completing his schooling at Wimbledon College, he joined the RAF. He flew Meteors and Javelins with 25 and 29 Squadrons, and for a time was stationed at RAF Leuchars where he formed the UK's first line of defence. He would have to sit in his aircraft with the engines running, waiting for the order to scramble to intercept Soviet intruders, which would happen virtually every day. Upon leaving the RAF as a Flight Lieutenant in 1960 he became an air traffic controller, and was stationed at Glasgow Prestwick airport until he retired due to ill health in 1993.
The precise nature of the ill health which led to his early retirement remained undiagnosed until the year 2000, when he was informed that he was suffering from Parkinson's disease. Over the course of the next 14 years his health continued to steadily decline but at a relatively slow rate until he entered the final stage of Parkinson's at the end of 2013.
He never once complained about his illness, never once asked "why me?", and fought his illness with great determination and the same bravery he showed facing Soviet intruders during the Cold War. He firmly believed that one day a cure would be found for this terrible disease, and instead of giving flowers at his funeral his family have requested that donations be made to Parkinson's UK via this website.
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