RAPID CITY - William F. Thomas, 84, Rapid City resident, died at the Rapid City Regional Hospital, Saturday, April 18, 2009. He was born Dec. 11, 1924 at Billings, Montana, the son of William and Rose (Quarnberg) Thomas. The family resided at Lovell, Wyoming and Lupton, CO, moving to Belle Fourche, S. Dak. when William was two years old. He attended grade school and junior high school in Belle Fourche and graduated from Roosevelt Military Academy in Aledo, Ill in June of 1943. William served in the US Army from Sept. of 1943 until January of 1946. He did his basic training at Camp Callan, CA and served in New Guinea and in the Philippines. Following discharge from the Army he attended the University of So. Dak. and graduated with a business degree. He married Dorothy Wakeman of DeSmet, S. Dak. on Aug. 31, 1947. They had four children, Lorri, John, Ray and Jeannie. He worked in Pipestone, MN in a Gambles Store prior to being called back into service during the Korean War. He served at Ft. Leonard Wood in Missouri and in the Panama Canal Zone. He was discharged in the fall of 1954. He retired from the Army Reserve in 1965 as a Captain. William resided in Leon, Iowa for a time where he owned and operated a Gamble's Store. He moved to Watertown, S. Dak. in 1962 and was associated with the Watertown Milling Co. as a purchasing agent. He moved to Rapid City in 1976 where he owned and operated apartment buildings. He also owned Bills Video and worked in hardware stores in Rapid City. William married Rose McCain Bundy on May 5, 1979. He was a sixty year member of the Masonic Lodge, a member of the Rapid City Shrine Club, a Past Patron of Golden Link Chapter # 14, Eastern Star; a member of the VFW, NCT camping group and Black Hills Rambler of Good Sam. Survivors include his wife, Rose Marie Thomas, Rapid City; two daughters, Jeannie Gross and her husband Jeff, Ft. Atkinson, Wisconsin and Lorri Monteen and her husband Paul, Coon Rapids, Minnesota, a son Ray Thomas and his wife Lindy, Wichita, Kansas, four grandchildren and four great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a son John. Visitation will be from 4:30 PM until 6:30 PM Monday at the Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home. Services will be at 12:30 PM, Tuesday at the Calvary Lutheran Church with Rev. Dwight Stensgaard officiating. Interment, with military honors provided by Rushmore VFW Post 1273, will be at the Black Hills National Cemetery. Memorials have been established for Calvary Lutheran Church and the Rapid City Shrine Clown Unit.