David Nubel of Protec Pest & Hygiene Services pays tribute to Keith Thomas who sadly passed away peacefully at home on New Years Day after a prolonged illness.
Like so many in the UK pest control industry, Keith Thomas began his career with Rentokil in the early 1960s.
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In 1967 he emigrated to Australia and joined Powells Pest Control. In 1970 he returned to England and joined Verminex where he found his niche as service manager for the bird control division – No Perch. When I joined Verminex in 1978, Keith was one of the first to offer me a warm welcome promptly followed by a cold beer. We remained good friends ever since. He was a warm-hearted and kind man with a passion for his work. With this came his natural ability to encourage and motivate others – as was so obvious with his Church and scouting leisure time activities. Another passion was his rarely rewarded fanatical support for Crystal Palace FC. |
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He survived the Peter Cox take-over of Verminex and continued to work for Terminex until ill health – a combination of kidney problems and failing eye-sight brought on by diabetes – forced him into retirement at 56 years of age. He is survived by his wife Barbara who he married in 1960 and daughter Katy. Their son, Matthew, died in 1985 as a result of complications caused by Muscular Dystrophy. His warmth and wisdom will be sorely missed. |
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