William Guy Thomas

William Guy Thomas, age 66, of Austin, Texas, passed away on September 22, 2025.

The oldest son of William "Dub" and Mary Ann Thomas, Guy arrived in the world on a Friday on May 22, 1959. A native of Dallas, he spent his early years there and then moved with his family to Houston, where he graduated from Spring High School in 1977. He had a beautiful voice and one of his favorite childhood memories was being in boys' choir and traveling to Mexico City to sing there. He attended Stephen F. Austin State University and then transferred to The University of Texas at Austin, where he studied radio, television, and film and sported a luxurious Peter Frampton haircut on his 1979 college ID. While attending UT, he fell in love with Austin and its music scene, and he became a lifelong resident. He played guitar and sang for the Tickle Monsters, Stiff Kittens, and the punk band the Derelicts, which performed at iconic Austin clubs such as Raul's, Duke's Royal Coach Inn, and the Continental Club. He continued to play, write, and devote himself to music throughout his life, and the Beatles, Todd Rundgren, Yes, Steely Dan, and, of course, the Carpenters were among the musicians he treasured.

Guy's enthusiasm for and skill with computers and technology helped him land employment after college, including working as a database administrator for Temple-Inland and culminating in his longtime post as a logistics operator for Verizon. At Verizon, he excelled in unraveling the complexities of vehicle navigation, and he was regularly recognized for his contributions to his workplace. He was a tech guru who could meet any computer issue head-on. He was excited about and stayed on top of computer developments, and one of his most recent projects was helping Apple with beta testing.

Guy possessed a deep passion for movies and could well have been a contender for the Guinness World Record for Number of Movies Watched, as evidenced by his extensive movie spreadsheet, in which he rated and shared his opinions on close to 2,000 movies, from obscure foreign films to mainstream crowd pleasers. If you wanted to increase your movie knowledge exponentially, Guy was the person to talk to.

He brought his creative talent, unrelenting focus, and unique way of thinking to most any endeavor he took an interest in. He enjoyed writing poetry and short stories. He learned to bake unforgettably delicious bread, to the delight of everyone he shared it with. His grumpy charm and sense of wonder and humor were endearing to his friends and family, and those who were lucky enough to be in his circle had the pleasure of experiencing the world from a totally different point of view. Anyone who talked to Guy was sure to come away with fresh insights and ideas, and a new zeal for life.

He was a caring and devoted dad to his two wonderful daughters, Katie and Veronica Thomas, and he enjoyed spending father/daughter time with them, especially activities like watching their favorite movies and music videos and sharing cooking adventures. He described himself as a "mostly peaceful human" and he lived a mostly peaceful life with his longtime partner, Clare Townes. He doted on his favorite cat, Cookie, spoiling her with belly rubs and catnip mice. He was one of a kind, and he will be deeply missed by his friends and family.

Guy is survived by his daughters, Katherine Marie and Veronica Syrah Thomas, his mother, Mary Ann Thomas, his longtime partner, Clare Townes, his brothers, Kirk Thomas, Ty Thomas and his wife, Marla, Kyle Thomas and his wife, Trisha Tumlinson, his many nieces and nephews, and a host of lifelong friends.

A celebration of his life will take place on Sunday, October 19, in Austin, Texas. Please contact kat.thomas10@gmail.com for time and location. In lieu of flowers, donations in Guy's name may be made to HAAM https://www.myhaam.org/ or the Austin Humane Society https://austinhumanesociety.org/.