Obituary for Stanley B. Thomas
Stanley B. Thomas, 95, passed away May 8, 2020 due to complications from Covid-19. Having lived most of his life in Providence, he was predeceased by his wife of 38 years, Nancy (Walker), brother Ernest Thomas, Jr., and sisters Elizabeth Thomas and Barbara Sammons. Stan is survived by daughters Lynne Thomas of Hudson, NH and Susan Thomas (Mychal Gendron) of Cranston, RI, grandchildren Timothy Lordan of San Francisco, CA, Elizabeth Remington of Bedford, NH, and Adrienne Gendron of Cranston, RI, great-grandchildren Alexander Lordan and Mackenzie Remington, and longtime companion Claire A. Connors.
As a child, Stan lived on the grounds of Roger Williams Park, where his father Ernest K. Thomas was Park Superintendent. As he told it, Stan ran wild in the park, and particularly loved helping the zookeepers feed the elephants.
Stan was drafted into World War II the day after he graduated from Hope High School in Providence where he served primarily in the South Pacific with the 31st Weather Squadron of the Army. He was honorably discharged at the rank of Sergeant in 1946 after which he attended Brown University on the GI bill. Graduating in 1950 with an English degree, Stan initially worked for GMAC in Connecticut as a repo man. He and wife Nancy moved back to Rhode Island after the birth of their first child, where Stan began working as a trade association executive for the Leavers Lace Company and the RI Textile Association. In the 1970s he was named Executive Director of the RI Society of CPAs, a position he held until his retirement.
Stan was the quintessential handyman: he loved building things and tinkering around the apartments and houses where he lived. He loved classical music and jazz, and frequently attended concerts. He often professed regret that, due to the Depression, his family had to pawn his cello. He was a passionate fan of the Red Sox and the Patriots and, in his later years, loved traveling to Florida, where he and companion Claire Connors embraced the snowbird life. Most of all, Stan was a man who was devoted to his family, as well as his nieces and nephews, with whom he often acted in loco parentis.
Stan’s family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the nurses and staff of the Rhode Island Veteran’s Home, Echo 2 Unit, for their wonderful and loving care. In lieu of flowers and in keeping with his lifelong support of music education for children, contributions in his memory may be made to the Scholarship Fund of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School, 667 Waterman Ave., East Providence, RI 02914. Burial will be private.
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As a child, Stan lived on the grounds of Roger Williams Park, where his father Ernest K. Thomas was Park Superintendent. As he told it, Stan ran wild in the park, and particularly loved helping the zookeepers feed the elephants.
Stan was drafted into World War II the day after he graduated from Hope High School in Providence where he served primarily in the South Pacific with the 31st Weather Squadron of the Army. He was honorably discharged at the rank of Sergeant in 1946 after which he attended Brown University on the GI bill. Graduating in 1950 with an English degree, Stan initially worked for GMAC in Connecticut as a repo man. He and wife Nancy moved back to Rhode Island after the birth of their first child, where Stan began working as a trade association executive for the Leavers Lace Company and the RI Textile Association. In the 1970s he was named Executive Director of the RI Society of CPAs, a position he held until his retirement.
Stan was the quintessential handyman: he loved building things and tinkering around the apartments and houses where he lived. He loved classical music and jazz, and frequently attended concerts. He often professed regret that, due to the Depression, his family had to pawn his cello. He was a passionate fan of the Red Sox and the Patriots and, in his later years, loved traveling to Florida, where he and companion Claire Connors embraced the snowbird life. Most of all, Stan was a man who was devoted to his family, as well as his nieces and nephews, with whom he often acted in loco parentis.
Stan’s family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the nurses and staff of the Rhode Island Veteran’s Home, Echo 2 Unit, for their wonderful and loving care. In lieu of flowers and in keeping with his lifelong support of music education for children, contributions in his memory may be made to the Scholarship Fund of the Rhode Island Philharmonic Music School, 667 Waterman Ave., East Providence, RI 02914. Burial will be private.
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