Feb. 25, 1965 - Sept. 5, 2008

Cal Michael Thomason, 43, entered into rest at his home in Fair Oaks, Calif., Friday surrounded by his friends and family, several of which are from the Willamette Valley.

Born in Eugene, Cal was raised in Vancouver, B.C., Canada and La Grande, where he graduated from high school in 1983, the year he won the Oregon AAA High School Wrestling Championship.

A graduate of the University of Oregon, where he received his Bachelor of Science in 1988, he moved to California and was a successful independent contractor in the greater Sacramento area.

Cal personified the "Can Do Spirit" and was inspirational to all who knew and loved him. Although his life was short, the speed at which he lived was phenomenal.

He is survived and will be sorely missed by his wife, Sonya; sons Cal Michael Jr. and wife Jeannine, Christopher and Daniel; grandchildren Julia and Brendyn; parents Burke and Sharon Backer Thomason; brother Aaron and wife Maki Thomason, and their children, Zachary and Anna; grandmother Melva Jordan Backer; aunts Leslie and husband Lenny Lipischak, and Luessia Thomason; uncles Gregory and wife Helen, and Mark Backer; cousins Janine, Scott, Korie and Anna; and lifelong friends Randy Imel and Mark Patterson and families.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents Roy Backer, and Karl and Helen Thomason; and uncle Steve Thomason.

A private celebration of Cal's life will be at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made in Cal's name to The Sarcoma Alliance, 775 E. Blithedale #344, Mill Valley, CA 94941, or a local hospice organization.