Otto Stephen Thomas

Otto Stephen Thomas passed away on the afternoon of Thursday, March 24, 2016, at the age of 51. We know this comes as a shock to a lot of people. Otto has been dealing with a heart condition for many years. In the past five months, his health began to decline significantly. His positive attitude and will to live carried him for the last few months. Otto was a fighter to the end. Before he passed, he was surrounded by his parents, siblings, relatives and friends. He passed away peacefully at 2:39 p.m. He leaves to cherish his memory, his beloved son Otto Stephen Michael Thomas; parents, Otto M. and Elouise Thomas; brothers, Randy (Tonya) Thomas and Gary (Kianga) Thomas; sister Terri Thomas; niece Miranda; nephew Isaac; former wife and friend Angelita Thomas; and a host of other relatives and friends. Otto Stephen Thomas was born December 30, 1964 to Elouise Rogers Thomas and Otto Minor Thomas, in Columbus, Ohio. The eldest of four children, he was regarded as the “protector” of the family. He was known by Stevie to family and Otto to his many friends. In his childhood, he was a tremendous athlete, playing football and running track. He also enjoyed swimming, karate, and basketball. He was very active in the scouts and loved all outdoor activities and photography. Otto graduated from Westerville North High School, in 1983, and later earned an Associate degree in Electronic Engineering from Columbus State Community College. He was the proprietor of Ottomatic Contracting Service, a seal coating business which he established in 2005. Stephen became well known as the person who could fix anything. Mechanically inclined, following the lead of his Uncle Vernon, Stephen would never be satisfied with anything that was not fixed perfectly. If it tilted a bit to a side, he had to fix it. His work ethic extended into his seal coating business. With every job that he did, he cared more about the quality of the work than the price that he was paid. People called on him all the time because they knew he was relentless about the quality of anything he did for anybody. Many of his friends would smile as we recall his pretty-boy phase. He loved to dance and he knew his jheri curl was all that. But thankfully, his big heart for others really made him the man that he became. Otto never met a stranger. Everybody was important and interesting to him. If you ironed his clothes when he was sick, he would insist on becoming your friend. You could call him names on Wednesday and ask him for help on Friday, and he would gladly lend a hand. Stephan had a love for music, playing sports, and the great outdoors, especially fishing and camping. Stephen was known to bring his music where ever he went. If he was lifting weights, he was listening to WVKO or playing the S0S Band on his eight track boom box. Stevie’s music would follow him to basketball courts in the neighborhood or to track meets in high school. Believe it or not, the guy was even into skateboarding. In the neighborhood, he would be seen riding his skateboard while the dog was pulling. Steve was not afraid to hold on to the kid that is inside all of us. He loved people and loved to have fun. He always strived for the camaraderie that he had when playing organized sports and he was all about team building. His enthusiasm for life will always be with us. Please know that we appreciate your thoughts, prayers and shared memories.