Peter B. Thomas was born on May 15 1916 in Fairfield Alabama He Moved to Daytona beach in 1932.
During the 30's he served with the Daytona Beach Life Guard Corps. He worked as a clothier at Al Sherman's Man's Shop and later opened his own mens clothing store on Seabreeze Bulvd.
He served in ther US Coast Guard and the US Army during WWII.
On March 26 1939 he married Alice Merritt Formerly of Garden City Long Island. They raised nin children and were married 54 years.
In the 1940's he formed Thomas & Slater Inc. a comercial construction company. Throughoutthe 50's and 60's he built several local landmarks including the intensive and concentrated care units at Halifax Hospital the Student Center at Stetson University the Carl Swisher Library at Bethune-Cookman College and most notably the Jai Alai Fronton on Volusia Ave. The buildings design was revolutionary for its time and won numerous awards.
He also owned a cocktail lounge on Seabreeze the Mai Tai. The popular watering hole was the gathering place for some of the towns better known luminaries such as Dr. Al Monaco Matty Tracy Judge Robert Durden Ike Adams Major Pete Ford Rear Admiral John Pick and Ambassador-at-Large William Bon Fleur Esq.
Mr. Thomas retired in 1970 and for many years traveled extensively throughout Germany Austria Italy and other European countries. In the 1980s and 90s he made numerous voyages to the Bahama Islands on his sailing vessel the APPTO III.
His hobbies included golf and sailing. He was also an automobile enthusiast.
He was preceded in death by his wife Alice in 1993 and his fifth child Kelly in 1974
He is survived by five sons Peter Jr. (Brenda) Michael (Valarie Eagan) David (Judy) and Nick (Laura) three daughters Pamela Penelope (John) and Hope. He also had eleven grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren.




Private Service were held for his family on November 28 2006