Sheriff’s father, Leroy Thomas, dead at 73

James Leroy Thomas, 73, of Concord, formerly of Fayetteville, passed away on March 30, 2010.Thomas was the father of Pike sheriff Jimmy Thomas.The elder Thomas retired in 1992 as a sergeant from the City of Fayetteville Police Department and proudly saw his two sons and a grandson follow into law enforcement.Visitation: Thursday, April 1, 5-8 p.m., Mowell Funeral Home, Fayetteville.Funeral: Friday, April 2, 2 p.m. at the funeral home chapel.