Vernon Harrington Thomas was born on March 16 1968. He was the 4th of 7 children and from early on displayed the happy disposition that he would become known for his entire life. He spent his early childhood in West End and was known as an energetic child, who always enjoyed helping others. He began his schooling at West End All Age School and completed his education at Hawksbill High School.
His love for planes began shortly after High School when he became an apprentice at Lucaya Air (later known as Taino Air) in Freeport. He soon grew in his knowledge of planes and ev entually became an accomplished airplane mechanic. He moved to Abaco at the age of 19 and instantly fell in love with the island and its friendly people. It became home for him. He found work with Uncle Lou at Zig Zag Air and later with Andrew Kelly at Abaco Air. At the time of his passing he was employed by Larry Brown at Le Air Charters in Nassau.
He came to know and love Jehovah with the help of a number of brothers including Anthony Reed and Reuben Thompson among others. He dedicated his life to Jehovah and was baptized at an early age. This began a life of self-sacrifice that allowed his natural interest in the welfare of others to shine for all to see. He became a full-time minister and was soon known as the brother to call when someone needed help.
In 1999 he fell in love with Shaneeka Dean and they were married on Sept 16, 2000. One of the main qualities that attracted Shaneeka to Vernon was his love for people. They made a fantastic team and together they embarked on a life of service to Jehovah that would take them around the Bahamas and to international assignments.
His infectious smile and optimistic manner lit up every room he entered. His ‘get -it-done' attitude saw him move at the speed of light to complete a never-ending list of projects. And who can forget his repertoire of songs he enjoyed humming and singing for the sheer joy of it! Gatherings won't be the same without his performances. And of course, his trademark phrase...”Yes Indeed!” always brought a smile to those around him.
Vernon’s relationship with Jehovah God was the most important part of his life, and was the reason why he lived by such high standards. It was also the reason why his life was so successful in all the important ways. Perhaps the best description of what Vernon was all about is a statement made by his brother Oscar, who recently commented: “Vernon was unplugged from this world.” He set a fine example as a husband, son, brother, uncle, elder and friend.
In June 2020 Vernon became ill and, after a short but hard-fought battle, he peacefully passed away on the evening of July 22, 2020. We look forward to seeing him again soon in Gods New World, healthy and happy. YES INDEED!
