Thadious Guy Strickland

Thad Strickland passed away at home on February 17, 2023, leaving behind many friends and family who loved him dearly. Thad was born August 7, 1950, in Savannah, Georgia. He was the first child of the late Evelyn Christine Strickland and Ralph Guy Strickland. The Strickland Family attended Central Christian Church.

Thad discovered his love for music at a young age. Growing up, one could always hear live music coming from his home. At age 13 his music took a turn to the serious side. As a young teen in the1960s, Thad’s idea of playing guitar in a band became a reality with the formation of the Dynamic Deltas. By the late ’60s it was the Rock-A-Fellas and Deep Blue. In the 70s Thad was the lead vocalist and guitar player for Grit, Voyage, Front Row, and The Voyage Show. The Veraflames were conceived and formed in 1980. They were Savannah’s favorite garage band and were one of the first local bands to play at the Night Fight Café on River Street, and they quickly became a Night Flight favorite. They were a staple there through the 80s, playing to standing-room-only crowds every show. Encore and The Otis Brothers coincided with the Veraflames during the early 90s. The Otis Brothers were an 18-piece cast of Thad’s favorite Savannah musicians. He was in his element as the lead singer and front man, playing his favorite soul classics from the 1960s. The Veraflames continued entertaining many at private parties, conventions, and weddings through 2015. Thad truly cherished the many lifelong friendships that developed through his music.

After graduating from Jenkins High school in 1968, Thad served in the Air National Guard for eight years while working for Savannah Machine and Foundry. He later worked for Continental Field Systems, which enabled him to travel to many parts of the United States and abroad. Subsequently, Thad owned an antique business and later an aviation business, Skycraft, in Brunswick, Georgia.

In addition to being a musician, he was an avid boatsman. Whether it was sailing the waterways of Savannah and beyond or cruising to Sapelo Island, he loved being on or in the water.

Thad had many interests beyond music and boating. In between his real jobs, Thad would find ways to learn new skills and to broaden his horizons. Restoring very old Porsches to their original glory, building guitars with Randy Wood, building furniture and becoming a master wood worker with Harry Lane, and flying airplanes with Winn Baker were just a few. After Thad received his pilot’s license, you could see him on any given day soaring above the marshes of Georgia in his Piper Cub. Also, along with his dear friend, Bruce McNall, they built his dream home on the water in Valona, Georgia. Thad’s mind and hands were never idle.

Everyone knew Thad as a kind, generous man with a compassionate heart. His sense of humor is what rounded him out as an exceptional human being. He was what one might call a “people magnet.” People loved to be around Thad.

Preceding Thad in death are his parents and his step-daughter, Carrie McCullough. He is survived by the love of his life, his wife and devoted caretaker, Darlene Boaen Strickland; his step-son, Keith McCullough (Jen); his grandchildren, who know him as “Poppy, The Man, the Myth, the Legend,” Mariena (Trey), Trini, Abbey, Izzy and Eliza; brother-in-law Danny Boaen (Robin); nieces, Kathalyn Westcott (Tom), and Morgan Boaen Smith (Pate); nephew, Joey Boaen (Kaitlen); grandnieces Emma Kate, Hayes, and Kristen Coviello (Nick); grandnephews, Eli, Boaen, and Jack; sisters, Pamela Fabiano and Connie Kesler.

A Graveside service will be held at Forest Lawn Memory Gardens on February 25, 2023 at 12 noon. A time for fellowship and sharing “Thad” stories will follow the service at the cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Hospice of the Golden Isles, Brunswick, Georgia, at Hospice.me or 912-265-4735.