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Thomas Charles Mako, 51, of Celina, Texas, died peacefully after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. He was born August 11, 1966 in Whittier, California to Eva Karpati Mako and Peter Francis Mako, who had emigrated from Budapest, Hungary in 1956 to escape the Soviet occupation. His childhood home was in Fullerton, California until the age of 15, at which time he moved with his family to Holland for two years when his father accepted a transfer with the Fluor Corporation. He spent his freshman and sophomore years at the American School of the Hague and returned to Fullerton for his last two years at Servite High School. For the next four years he attended Cal State Fullerton, and upon graduation in 1989, he remained at Cal State working in the purchasing department. He made the decision to move to Dallas in 1994 and worked briefly for Mercedes-Benz of Dallas and was later hired by EDS, working there for several years until moving over to the 7-11 subsidiary, Cardtronics, where he spent the remainder of his career as a Program Operations Manager.Thomas completely embraced his Hungarian roots, speaking the language fluently and returning annually to Budapest. He was a lifelong fan of British Airways and its history, having collected memorabilia since his childhood, and had recently donated his collection to the British Airways museum in London. Additionally, he was an avid horseman and especially enjoyed cutting horses and the time he spent with his many cutting buddies and his horse, Star.Thomas met his diagnosis head-on with his incredibly strong faith and perseverance, making the journey for those surrounding him so much easier, and inspiring us all along the way. He was loved by so many, and his absence will leave an enormous void. He was predeceased by his parents and is survived by his brother, Peter (and wife, Laura) and nieces, Elizabeth Jones Perlman (and husband, Jonathan), Katherine Jones, Anna Grace Mako and Sarah Mako.A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:00AM on Saturday, September 30, 2017 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Pilot Point, Texas. Burial will follow at St. Thomas Aquinas Cemetery. In lieu of usual remembrances, contributions may be made to City of Hope, www.cityofhope.org/donate. Online condolences may be shared at www.slaymemorialfuneralhome.com. Services are under the direction of Terri Slay and Slay Memorial Funeral Center.The family would like to thank Dr. Scott Paulson, Dr. Ernest Beecherl, and the staff of Vitas Hospice for their incredible care and compassion. To send a flower arrangement to the family of Thomas Charles Mako, please click here to visit our Sympathy Store.

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Thomas Charles Mako

August 11, 1966 - September 24, 2017