James “Jim” Thomas, best known locally as the leader of Babe Ruth Baseball in Southwest Washington, died Wednesday.
Family and friends of Harold James “Jim” Thomas are invited to come together Saturday from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Museum in Chehalis to celebrate his life, hosted by his brothers in arms from the local Marine Corps League. A reception will follow.
Thomas died peacefully at home July 5 after a short battle with cancer. A graveside service is being planned for later this month.
In 2013, Thomas organized and ran the first ever of its kind regional tournament for 10, 12, 13-, 14-, and 15-year-olds in the newly built fields in Borst Park. The tournament gained national attention in the Babe Ruth community for holding five tournaments in one location. He was inducted into the state and regional Babe Ruth Halls of Fame.
Following his military service in the U.S Marine Corp. and a career in the insurance industry in Southern California, Thomas and his wife, Nancy, moved their family to Southwest Washington in 1974. He owned and operated several local businesses in the Grand Mound area. All five of his children — Mike, Pat, Chris, Alice and Joe — graduated from Centralia High School.
Besides many positions in local baseball, he worked on community projects in Rochester and Centralia, most recently serving on the Parks Board and Planning Commission in the city of Centralia.
