Oh, how disappointed I would have been if the celebration of Chris Thomas' life would not have included moments of levity. After all, Thomas won his way into the hearts of many by making us laugh and by laughing at himself.
The longtime WFLA-Ch. 8 and WDAE-AM 620 sports personality died of cancer Wednesday, leaving a father, a wife, two grown kids, a 7-year-old daughter and a flock of friends who crowded into Sacred Heart Catholic Church in downtown Tampa.
As WFLA-Ch. 8 sports director J.P. Peterson told the mourners, "The line for communion was like a line at a Bucs game."
Of course, Thomas never had to worry whether people loved him or loathed him because he knew they respected him as a broadcaster and as a family man. Thomas never had to set aside time to speak of the love he had for his wife, WFLA assistant news director Kathryn Bonfield, or his daughter Kaitlyn because it crept into each of his midmorning broadcasts on WDAE.
Thomas had other gifts: an ardent passion for horse racing, a brilliant gift for humor and an unwavering degree of humility. He never took himself or the sports that he loved too seriously.
Peterson joked that Thomas' humble approach meant that he was never a slave to fashion.
"I think Chris and Bob Hite were vying to see who could make a late 1985 wardrobe last longer," Peterson said. "Bob, I'm happy to say you've won."
Hite and Gayle Sierens, the WFLA news anchors who shared the set with Thomas during his 14 years at the station, spoke at the celebration. They immediately lightened the mood by introducing themselves as if they were opening a newscast.
Hite went on to explain that he and Thomas had friendly debates on and off the air. Hite remembered exactly how one dispute ended.
"In his eloquent way, he won the argument," Hite said. "He said, "Shut up, you moron."'
But Thomas could speak with eloquence on any topic. As a reporter and as a colleague, I often turned to Chris when I needed insight, whether on the viability of local sportscasters or on how to raise a daughter. Rarely did I get a predictable response, but I always got something thoughtful and intelligent. Yeah, he was funny, but he was really smart, too.
In fact, Thomas' mastery of the English language often proved to be a source of humor. WDAE afternoon host Steve Duemig told those in attendance how Chris' expansive vocabulary had once halted a blackjack game in Las Vegas.
"One of the words was "fard,' which is the action of painting one's face," said Duemig, who explained that Chris used the word to refer to women putting on a lot of makeup.
"He asked the girl (in Las Vegas) who was dealing, "Do you fard?' She said, "I beg your pardon. Absolutely not.' Chris and I knew what it was, and by that time the pit boss came over, and she was a nice-looking lady as well, and Chris said, "Hey, you fard, too."'
Perhaps Thomas joked about makeup because he never wore it on the air. Sierens joked that the funeral directors put makeup on Chris, "and don't you know he is not happy."
Said Peterson: "Wearing makeup I think would have been philosophically wrong for him because, with Chris, what you see is what you get."
What you got, in the simplest of terms, was a nice guy. He pursued his passions, and he shared them.
The Rev. Paul Osterle, S.J., the Sacred Heart pastor who beautifully presided over the celebration, joked that Chris was in heaven preparing for a race with Secretariat, Man O' War and Seabiscuit. But I couldn't help think that before he would place his bet, he would gather around interested angels and show them how to read the racing form, like he did for so many novices at Tampa Bay Downs.
"There are givers, and there are takers, and, make no mistake about it, Chris Thomas was one of the greatest givers we're ever going to know," Sierens said.
She's right. Chris gave to me, more than once. For that, I'll always be grateful.
