Reginald Sean Thomas

Reginald, or "Reggie" or "Big Reg" or "Chocolate Thunder" (the list goes on), was born in Los Angeles but moved to Ferriday, Louisiana as a young boy. Like any respectable Louisianan, he remained a devoted fan of the LSU Tigers and New Orleans Saints throughout his life (in addition to his later found love for America's team, The Yankees, and Los Angeles Lakers). Equipped with a shockingly accurate memory and talent for storing information, he was a voracious student of history, a selfless and hardworking professional, and one of the most genuine and friendly people around.

Reggie was a devoted family man. He was the father of four children, which was enough for him to label himself “The Genetic Jackhammer” (see the list does go on). His strong work ethic and love of family were on full display as he balanced long hours on the job and commitment to family life. His devotion to supporting his children and his “trophy” wife (Shannon insists this was his label, not hers) represented the commendable man Reggie was.

Reggie came from humble beginnings and was taught to value humility, hard work, and selflessness. He was a generous person who always stayed grounded about where he came from. In his unique, dry, and quirky sense of humor, Reggie regaled folks with stories about picking cotton behind Bessie the Mule, boasted about his 4-H accomplishments, which included fond memories of livestock shows and BBQ competitions throughout Louisiana, being elected a state delegate after visiting LSU for the first time, and never passing up on his grandmother’s Lemon Meringue pie. In his own words, “Not as legendary as the biscuits or the cobbler, but it was top 5 for sure.” Speaking of "top 5"... movies, music, or women?

Reggie always maintained a love of food and people. As a young boy, he learned to bake in his grandmother’s kitchen and continued to hone his culinary skills throughout his life. As an adult, he took great interest in teaching his own kids to cook and never ran from the challenge of cooking for any group, no matter the size. Whether he was cooking for small gatherings of friends and family, or large gatherings of… well… whoever wandered in, Reggie relished the opportunity to feed people and chat them up. The dude could chat. Anyone who spent any time around Reggie and his food appreciated him as not just a great cook, but a charming, witty guy with a brilliant sense of humor. Sometimes it seemed like a sense of humor that only he understood. As one friend put it, a conversation about Yankees baseball would suddenly turn into a conversation about Rudy Giuliani’s satin pajamas. He had the “gift of gab,” especially when it came to his infamous one-liners: “It only has to make sense to you”, “Let's get a run in”, “Allegedly....” And if you happened to ask Reggie how he was doing on any given day, you were likely to hear him say, “It's the best day of my life.”

Ironically, he also saw the best in those around him. He was notorious for his mentorship, for lifting those that were constantly passed over, and for finding value in everyone he crossed paths with. He was a firm believer in people remembering how you make them feel and he lived each day of his life that way. You mattered to him. We need more Reggies in this world.

Reginald is survived by his wife, Shannon, four children, and their partners, Samantha (Brandon), Tyler (Paola), Evelyn, and Maxwell, siblings, Ronald (Eddie), Fred (Judith), Evelyn, Angela, and Brandon (Vanessa) as well as, an abundance of cousins, nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and countless friends. He is preceded in death by his parents, Fred and Frances, and brother, Gary.

The celebration of life will be announced shortly.

And most importantly, Lakers in 6 - "The game's in the refrigerator, the door's closed, the light's out, the eggs are cooling, the butter's getting hard, and the jello's jiggling"- Chick Hearn