Terry Thayer's Obituary
Terry Vernal Thayer was born October 19, 1962, to Carl Vernal ?Bud? Thayer and Freddie Kathleen Cundiff, in St. Louis, Missouri. His step-father of twenty-six years, Harold Ewing, also made a great impact on his life, teaching him about electrical and plumbing. Most of his childhood was spent in St. Louis, Missouri and Kansas, where he became a Christian and was baptized December 5, 1971, at a Baptist church there. He attended elementary and high school in St. Louis, and though he wasn?t allowed to graduate, he received his G.E.D. Terry served four years in the U.S. Navy from 1982 until1986, and traveled to many countries, his favorite being Greece. His duties included Aviation Bostwain Mate (directing aircraft) and Plane Captain. He remembered vividly the time of the Beruit Peace Keeping Force. He loved the open sea and watching the sunrise while on the aircraft carrier. During this time, he found out he had diabetes. In March of 1991, his daughter, Nichole, was born while he lived in Richland, Missouri, and from his first marriage, a son, Garrett, was also born in August of 1993. Terry had worked in several factory and labor jobs and decided he wanted to go to college in 1995. He met Tonja Hawkins in 1996, and they married in April of 1997. They enjoyed country dancing and also singing together at different church and community functions. They had a daughter, Toniah, in April of 1998. While going to school, Terry enjoyed substitute teaching, and served his internship with Probation and Parole in Rolla, Missouri. Terry graduated from Drury University in 2000, with a triple major in Psychology, Sociology and Criminology. Terry and Tonja moved to Lebanon, where Terry worked with Pathways Mental Health, and later with Job Placement in Springfield, and finally with the State of Missouri as a Child Abuse Investigator. However, soon after, his eyes began to fail in the spring of 2003. Terry was also active in his church, both at First Christian Church in Richland, Missouri, and Washington Christian Church, in Lebanon, Missouri; teaching children?s church in both places, and at Washington, working on slideshows for songs, Christmas plays, and burning sermons on CD?s for those who might have missed a sermon. Terry was a talented artist, enjoyed woodworking and loved football season. Go Chiefs! He loved to debate and had a great sense of humor. He was fascinated by science and could watch History channel all day. He treasured good times with his friends and loved how an old song could take him back to his teenage years. He was good at roller-skating, dancing, basketball, tennis and loved the challenge of golf. Terry has two brothers, Ken Thayer, and his wife, Cheryl, of Roby, Missouri, Ted Thayer, of Richland, Missouri; a step-brother, Harold Ewing, Jr., of Linn Creek, Missouri; two half-sisters, Colleen Warden and her husband, Charles of the State of Colorado, and Samantha Thayer, of St. Louis, Missouri; a half-brother, Ricky Thayer, and his wife, Jenn, of St. Louis, Missouri; as well as a special nephew, Kenny Thayer, of St. Louis, Missouri; a special cousin, Jerry Cundiff, of Indianapolis, Indiana; several other nieces and nephews, cousins, and other relatives and friends. Terry was preceded in death by his step-father, Harold Ewing, Sr.; three uncles, Kenny, Truman, and Hugh Cundiff; and a grandmother, Lucinda Cundi
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