Dick Thomassian — “block-party guru” and retired longtime staff member of Whitesburg Baptist Church, Huntsville — died Sept. 18. He was 86.
Thomassian started his ministry at Fairfield Highlands Baptist Church, Midfield, in 1959.
He joined the Whitesburg staff in 1966 as minister of music and youth, but he later turned the youth work over to another staff member and became minister of music and missions. Then in 1996, he felt led to concentrate solely on missions.
When he retired from the church in 2005, he continued to work full-time as president of T.I.M.E. Ministries — Training in Missions and Evangelism — a missions organization he founded.
Describing himself as a “missions evangelist,” Thomassian served as a trustee of the International Mission Board (IMB) from 1983 until 1991. He and his wife, Lois, lived in Israel during part of that time, interacting with the IMB missionaries on the field and ministering to the Jewish people and the Palestinians.
Over the years, he was a part of evangelistic crusades in all 50 states and 45 countries. He also led in local and state missions, particularly through block parties. His expertise in outreach through block parties earned him the title of “block-party guru.”
He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Lois; son, Tim; daughters, Joy and Jane; nine grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
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