“Whopshan” John Ferris Thomas, Jr., 56, was born on January 20, 1965, in Holton, Kansas, to John Ferris Thomas Sr., and Bernadette Masqua Thomas.  Whopshan passed away on September 29, 2021, at 4:20 a.m. surrounded by his loved ones and friends.

Whopshan is a military veteran who served in the Navy.  He attended high school at Intermountain Intertribal School (Brigham City, Utah), Pawnee High School (Pawnee, Oklahoma), and Kickapoo Nation School (Powhattan, Kansas) where he graduated in 1985. Whopshan attended Northeast Kansas Technical College and Haskell Indian Junior College.

Whopshan who was known for his humble nature, a benevolent heart, and his sense of humor was proud to call the Kickapoo Reservation, Kansas his home.  The reservation is where he enjoyed spending time with his family, friends, and many relatives.  He loved spending time with his grandchildren. He was an outdoorsman who always enjoyed a campfire as well as fishing, camping, hunting, hiking, and cruising the backroads.  He loved attending gun shows, concerts, demolition derbies, monster truck shows, car shows, and listening to country music and classic rock namely George Jones and Hank Williams Jr.  Whopshan was also a sports enthusiast when it came to the Kansas City Chiefs football team and the KU Jayhawks basketball team.  One of his lastly famous words was “Chiefs forever”.

Whopshan is survived by his three daughters Leotta Castro, Johna Raye (Chris) Delong and Amber Marie (Gonk) Wakolee. He is survived by his sons Alvin Whitebird and Devin Whitebird whom he helped raise.  He has seventeen precious grandchildren and one grandchild on the way.  In addition to his children and grandchildren, Whopshan is survived by his parents John Thomas Sr., Ruth Thomas, and Bernadette Thomas. He is survived by his five sisters, Kelley Manylightnings, Christina Jim, Lorinda Thomas, Michelle Thomas, and Johanna Shopteese. Three brothers Jason Thomas, Jeffrey Thomas, and Jonathon Thomas survive him.  His survivors include many nieces and nephews whom he loved dearly. He is preceded in death by his grandparents, Hollis Thomas, Minnie Soldier, Leroy Masqua, Orlando Green, Julia Jessepe Green, his son Justice Sky Thomas, and Jacqueline Castro, loving mother of his children.

Services will be at the Kickapoo Community Building at 5:00 P.M. on Saturday, October 2, 2021. Burial service will be at 9:00 A.M. on Sunday at the Kickapoo Community Building with burial to follow at 10:00 A.M. at the Kennekuk Cemetery on the Kickapoo Reservation. A special message may be sent to the family at www.dishon-maple-chaney.com