Wesley Ronald Thomas, 85, of Gatesville, North Carolina, passed away on November 22, 2025. Services are entrusted to Webb Undertaking.

Wesley Ronald Thomas was born on March 13, 1940, in North Carolina to Alexander Lee Thomas and Eliza Regina Thomas. Growing up in a large, tight-knit family of 14 siblings—six brothers and eight sisters—Thomas learned early the values of cooperation, resilience, and community responsibility. These principles would later become the foundation of his political life. 

In 1962, he married Peggy Joyce Sutten, beginning a long and devoted partnership. Together they raised nine children: Wesley R. Thomas Jr., Joshua Lee Thomas, George Lee Thomas, Martin Luther Thomas, John Thomas, Georgia Thomas, Regina Thomas, Rose Thomas, Harmony Thomas, and Ava Thomas. 

Family remained central to Thomas’s identity, and he often credited his wife and children as his greatest source of strength. Thomas entered public service with a deep commitment to improving the lives of everyday North Carolinians. His leadership, grounded in humility and a strong sense of duty, earned him the respect of both colleagues and constituents. He went on to represent North Carolina’s 1st District in the United States Senate, where he championed issues related to rural development, education access, economic fairness, and infrastructure improvement.

Funeral services will be conducted on Saturday, Nov. 29, at 6:30 pm at Gatesville First Baptist Church. Interment will follow at Meadoview Memorial Park. A visitation is scheduled for Friday, November 26, from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. at Glass Chapel Missionary Baptist Church. Congressman Thomas will lie in repose at the altar of Gatesville's First Baptist for 30 minutes prior to the homegoing services.