Dave Thomas, R.I.P.

I note the passing of my very good friend Dave Thomas, who for 17 years was the Executive Director of USPSA, after a long battle with cancer.

Let me say flat out that Dave was my brother, a fine and honorable man with a great sense of humor and a heart the size of the sun. Dave shepherded USPSA from the early days of flying by the seats of our pants into a national sporting organization. He was one hell of a shot, too. He was one of the original instructors who signed on with us for the NSSF Media Education Program, and he never hesitated to do whatever was necessary in the fight for our rights.

Dave Thomas helped shape the sport we love, and he did so by caring so very much not for the shooting sports in the abstract, but for the people who come out every Saturday or every Sunday, who set the stages up, who run the times, who bring their friends out the next week. Dave loved practical shooting, but he loved practical shooters more. And all of us benefited from that love.

I am reminded of a piece of verse from Edna St.Vincent Millay:


The world stands out on either side
No wider than the heart is wide;
Above the world is stretched the sky,
No higher than the soul is high.
The heart can push the sea and land
Farther away on either hand;
The soul can split the sky in two,
And let the face of God shine through.

Thank you for the great times, Dave, and for your commitment. Rest in peace.