Carrie and Family, I am so sorry for your loss. Mr. Thomas- as I knew him, was a wonderful man. I am where I am today because of him. While I never met any of you, I certainly heard about you throughout the time I knew him. I went to Barlow High School and graduated in ’98. I took Mr. Thomas’ science classes and quickly learned to love a subject I had always disliked. He was an amazing teacher, as I know you have heard time and time again. He not only loved teaching but he loved his students and had a way of investing in us that would last us a lifetime. To be honest, his name still comes up in conversation once in a while with my parents. I was so sad to hear of his passing. While I was his student I had the privilege of feeding his iguanas and other pets in the science lab over holiday breaks. I fell in love with Lemon, his beautiful white parrot. I have a large metal parrot that sits on my desk at home to this day because of my love for Lemon. Mr. Thomas helped me discover what I wanted to do with my life and helped me choose which college to go to and what classes to take to fulfill my goals. I even met with him for coffee a time or two when I would come home on school breaks. I wanted to let him know how I was following through with my goals and to show my appreciation for his teaching and guidance. The last time I met with Mr. Thomas he asked me what I wanted to do for a living after I graduated. I told him I so badly wanted to own a ranch. But I knew that was not something you simply fall into. So his words to me were, “Well, if you can’t be a rancher, go to work to support and help the ranchers.” And that is exactly what I have done. I graduated from college and immediately got a permanent job with the BLM. I have worked there ever since- just about 15 years now, administering grazing permits and working directly with the ranching community. When they ask me why I chose to do the job that I do, I have always quoted Mr. Thomas- ‘since I don’t have a ranch of my own, I wanted to help those that do’. One silly story that has stuck with me is about wasting water. I distinctly remember him telling us easy ways we could better our environment, one of which was by simply turning off the water as we brush our teeth. To this day, I am a terribly messy brusher. But if I leave the water on too long as I brush, I remember his words and think to myself, “I better turn this water off like Mr. Thomas said.” It is sad that so often we don’t express our admiration or appreciation for someone until they are gone. I sincerely mean what I have written. Mr. Thomas himself or his thoughtful lessons, have stuck with me enough to impact me almost daily. If he had that kind of impact on my, I can’t imagine what a loss this has been to you. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Sincerely, Cari Taylor (maiden name Johnson)