TRIBUTES Farewell to loving family man fondly called ‘the oracle’
FORMER serviceman and golf enthusiast Brice Thomas was renowned by those who knew him for his wealth of knowledge, expertise at quizzes and for being a loving family man.
Brice, from Grangetown, Cardiff, died on March 10 at the age of 88.
Born in Ely, he attended Windsor Clive school before joining the Royal Navy as a teenager.
During his 12 years of service he spent extensive time in places including Egypt and Malta and took part in the Korean war – returning home to find his family had moved away after missing a telegram with their new address.
Upon his return to Cardiff Brice took on a number of jobs including his role as a coal deliverer before becoming a welder for Special Heavy Engineering (SHE) in what has since become the Techniquest building.
And his return to his hometown also led to him meeting his future wife Esther Margaret at the Victoria Ballroom in Canton. The pair wed in 1959 in Cardiff Register Office, enjoying 46 years of marriage together before Esther’s death in 2005.
Known for his fierce intelligence, dad of one Brice was an avid reader and taught himself a number of languages including Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Welsh.
In his free time he was also a member of the Brains Brewery quiz team, earning himself the nickname “the oracle”.
A passionate golfer, Brice was a loyal member of St Andrews Major Golf Club in Barry and played up until six months before his death.
Paying tribute, his daughter-in-law Rose described the Legends Club regular as a “big character” with a “fabulous sense of humour”.
She said: “If you ever had a problem or couldn’t think of an answer he would always explain it to you. We called him the oracle as there was nothing the man didn’t know. He was great company and a big character in the family.”
A loving family man, Brice will be sorely missed by his son Philip, step-son Christopher, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren.
His funeral will be held next Tuesday at 2pm in the Wenallt Chapel, Thornhill Crematorium.