Michael Thome – A Memorable Man

Mike Thome is a former professional baseball player who played in Major League Baseball. Additionally, he is an accomplished helicopter pilot with over 3500 flight hours under his belt in multiple platforms such as UH-1 Hueys, AH-1 Cobras and an AH-64 Apaches.

He lives in Wisconsin with two children. He supports both Cleveland Indians and New York Yankees baseball teams.

Early Life and Education

He served as Project Manager with Corps of Engineers Huntsville Center to oversee a Defense Environmental Restoration Program project for Formerly Used Defense Sites and Base Realignment and Closure sites across the U.S. He also held Virtual Cockpit Optimization lead engineer positions with PEO Aviation.

He leaves behind his children Michael Thome, Karla (Mark) Rood and stepsons Randy Holt and Dan Holt; nine grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; one sister Lorraine Lavigne; brothers Gerald Thome and Norm Thome as well as numerous friends.

Born November 8, 1921 in Denver, Colorado and dying July 19, 2013 at River Ridge Assisted Living Facility in Saint Paul Minnesota he was joined in heaven by his wife Joanne and two brothers he loved dearly – especially the Denver Broncos and University of Minnesota teams that he was passionately supportive of throughout his life.

Professional Career

Michael Thome, a retired US Army Reserve Officer with over 16 years of engineering and management experience. Currently he serves as Vice President, Integration and Program Management of Missile Defense Command; in this capacity, he holds qualifications on UH-1 “Huey”, AH-1 Cobra, and AH-64 Apache helicopters.

He has extensive knowledge of research and development & evaluation programs within the Department of Defense and has supported both active duty and reserve components of Army Aviation Enterprise. Furthermore, he possesses a track record for successfully leading complex technical projects to completion.

In 2008, Thome became only the seventh MLB player ever to hit 500 home runs; at age 56 he became the oldest ever. Thome donated the ball he hit to mark this achievement to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Achievement and Honors

Thome has been presented with the MLB Players Association’s highest award for sportsmanship – named in honor of Hall-of-Famer Stan Musial – due to his emphasis on civility and humility while playing baseball, among other reasons he was selected for this recognition.

His contributions also include drug development. He emphasizes the significance of failure as an opportunity for scientists to gain wisdom. Furthermore, he regularly visits hospitals that use his medications.

Thome has numerous public records available that you can search in order to gather more information about him. You can search either by his full name or birth date.

Personal Life

Mike was deeply committed to his family and his friends. He enjoyed making them laugh while being an excellent cook who enjoyed skiing and cycling – all traits which will be missed dearly by those who knew him. He will be sorely missed.

He was an active member of the 106th Infantry Division Association and attended their reunions in Sacramento. Additionally, he belonged to American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars organizations as well as enjoying gardening, attending cultural events and traveling.

Michael Thome passed away peacefully at Hillside Cemetery in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, at 87 years old on March 24. His beloved wife Rose predeceased him and Robert will be greatly missed. Michael is laid to rest there.

Net Worth

Thome was selected 13th round in the 1989 MLB June Amateur Draft from Illinois Central College (East Peoria, IL). He debuted for Cleveland Indians on September 4, 1991 as a third baseman but later transitioned to first base. Thome would play for them for over 10 years and lead them to two World Series appearances during that timeframe.

Thome became just the eighth Major League Baseball player ever to hit 600 career home runs when he reached this mark at Comerica Park in Detroit against Minnesota Twins on August 7, 2007. His 600th homer went over the left field fence.

He played until 2009 when the Chicago White Sox traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers along with financial considerations for minor league infielder Justin Fuller.