Bruce Nelson Thomasson

IT IS WITH A HEAVY HEART THAT I ANNOUNCE THE PASSING OF MY DEVOTED HUSBAND AND BEST FRIEND BRUCE, “BT”, NELSON THOMASSON, AGE 57, DEC. 19, 2017.

BRUCE WAS PREDECEASED BY HIS FATHER FRANK L. THOMASSON, SR., STEP-FATHER CHARLES P. LUNSFORD, SR. AND HIS BROTHER FRANK L. THOMASSON, III.

BRUCE IS SURVIVED BY HIS WIFE VICKIE, SONS JAKE, ANDY, AND BEN, HIS PRECIOUS MOTHER KATHLEEN, “BOOTSIE,” LUNSFORD , BROTHER BILL THOMASSON, SISTERS AND BROTHERS-IN-LAW, KATHLEEN AND TOM BAGBY, ANN AND ANDREW HUTCHINSON, SISTER-IN-LAW MERRY THOMASSON AS WELL AS MANY VERY SPECIAL NEPHEWS, NIECES AND COUSINS.

BRUCE WAS UTTERLY DEVOTED TO HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS, ALL OF WHOM BENEFITED IMMEASURABLY FROM HIS LOVE, HUMOR AND UNFAILING GOOD NATURE.

HE ALSO WILL BE SORELY MISSED BY MY FAMILY: SONNY AND JOYCE TARPLEY, BRAD, LIZ, EMMY AND GRACE GRAHAM, BILLIE, NORMA, SONNY AND CATHY EVERSOLE AND OUR INCREDIBLE PAPA, CARL TARPLEY, SR.

BRUCE WAS A GRADUATE OF VIRGINIA EPISCOPAL SCHOOL AND ROANOKE COLLEGE.

HEARTFELT THANKS TO BT’S KA FRATERNITY BROTHERS. HE WAS BLESSED WITH THEIR LIFE-LONG FRIENDSHIPS AND WAS TRULY HUMBLED BY THEIR SUPPORT DURING HIS ILLNESS.

BRUCE ENJOYED A LONG, DISTINGUISHED CAREER IN MARKETING. HE SERVED AS A MEMBER OF THE SALEM PLANNING COMMISSION FOR THIRTEEN YEARS.

HE WAS A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND SERVED ON THE BLUE RIDGE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BOARD FOR MANY YEARS.

BRUCE AND I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE COMPASSION AND SUPPORT SHOWN BY OUR DEAR FAMILY, FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS AS WELL AS THE OWNERS OF GRAHAM-THOMAS HOME BUILDERS. WE SINCERELY LOVE ALL OF YOU!

SWEETHEART, YOUR STRUGGLES ARE OVER. NOW, GO CATCH UP WITH YOUR FATHER AND BROTHER. MY LOVE GOES WITH YOU.

A CELEBRATION OF LIFE WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT A LATER DATE.

DONATIONS MAY BE MADE IN BRUCE’S NAME TO ROANOKE COLLEGE, GOOD SAMARITAN HOSPICE OR BLUE RIDGE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH.

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