Obituary of Charles "Tom" Thomas

On January 16, 2018 the Honorable Charles Thomas Thomas former Mayor of Millburn - Short Hills joined the love of his life, Joan Mossey Thomas in the presence of the Lord. He is survived by his three children; Tara Coniaris (Jeffrey), Heather Thomas, and C.J. Thomas (Alexandra Kim) as well as his five grandchildren, Erin (William), Justin, Charlie, Kendall, and Christopher, all of whom made this past Christmas such a joyful event for him. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Funeral Mass at St. Rose of Lima Church, 50 Short Hills Ave, Short Hills on Monday, Jan 29th at 10:00 AM. Visitation will be held at The Jacob A. Holle Funeral Home 2122 Millburn Ave, Maplewood on Sun, Jan 28th from 2:00 - 6:00 PM. In lieu of flowers donations to Friends of Millburn Library, 200 Glen Ave. Millburn, NJ 07041, Millburn-Short Hills First Aid Squad, 188 Glen Avenue, Millburn, NJ 07041, or The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research would be appreciated. Tom grew up in New Jersey, spending most of his formative years in Spring Lake. From an early age he was dedicated to public service. He and his good friend William E. Simon would spend days giving the benches a cleaning in the town lake (leaving their removal to the town employees), as well as cooling off summer moviegoers by spraying water through the theater’s open windows. By the age of 15 he was working at the beach renting umbrellas and chairs to the tourists, earning the then enviable sum of $16.22 for a week of hard labor. During the winter months, after a short stint at St.Rose H.S. in Belmar his father thought he might do better in an all boy’s environment. It may have had something to do with his homework bearing a striking resemblance to that of one of his female classmates. He then commuted to Fordham Prep in the Bronx. He would hop on the train in Spring Lake at 4:30 in the morning in order to arrive on time for 7:30 mass. On one occasion, when the trains were running late, he did not arrive in time for the service. Upon explaining his daily commute, he was given no punishment and earned the respect of his headmaster for his dedication to his education. He later moved on to Blair academy where he was quarterback of the football team and graduated in the class of 1946. Tom attended Lafayette College where he excelled in both academics and social activities on his way towards graduation. He then joined the United States Marine Corp through the officer candidate program, reaching the rank of Captain prior to his “Honorable Discharge”. In honor of his “higher ups” in the Marines, he named the family dog Major. It was upon losing his roommate and close friend to the Korean War that he committed himself to weekly church attendance. He continued as often as possible throughout the rest of his life. He had the opportunity to study at the Sorbonne in Paris on the GI bill. His time in France, spent embracing the local culture and traveling throughout Europe, would lead to a life long joy of travel. Upon returning to the States, he entered the executive training program (mailroom) in advertising at Ted Bates & Co. While there, he entered and won the prestigious Gold Medal Award for advertising, gaining the attention of management. He was immediately moved to the fast track where he became, in the words of a dear cousin, “The Word” on Madison Avenue. He left Madison Avenue to join Wayne Steel Company. He ran the sales department there until his retirement in 2004, and remained a member of the board of directors. While living in NYC he met the woman he would marry and spend the rest of her life with, his beloved Joan. They moved to Short Hills and raised their three children. After founding Christopher Academy in Westfield, he became involved in local politics. Tom was asked to run for the Township Committee when the Republican nominee for that office had a business transfer in the final months of the campaign. He seized the opportunity as he often did in his life, but also knew that he had a slim chance of winning as a first time candidate. Yet on Election Day 1969 he was the top vote getter, and in short order, was chosen by the Committee as Mayor of Millburn, a position he held through 1975. After his first year on the Committee, the Millburn Item lauded him in their editorial pages. They stated that although we opposed his election, “No Committeeman in our memory has worked so hard in the brief span of a year to make himself familiar with all aspects of government...we hope his appearances at meetings of other official bodies…will be emulated by his fellow committeemen.” Mayor Thomas championed the building of a new library, the one still in use on Glen Avenue, over the objections of that editor. He was a founding officer of The Friends of the Millburn Library, and in later years he would recommend that same editor for membership on the board. As Mayor he served as Police Commissioner and also helped the town receive state Green Acres grants in order to acquire the land that would become Old Short Hills Park. As a result of the respect and admiration he received as Mayor, he was asked to join the board of the newly formed InterCommunity Bank. He agreed to join with a few conditions, one of which was that he could have a vested interest in the privatly held bank. The challenges and successes of the bank became some of his proudest business accomplishments. As a regular parishioner of St. Rose of Lima in Short Hills, he was befriended by the late Monsignor Murray, who would refer to him as “Saint Thomas” because of the many stories the Monsignor heard about Tom as Mayor. He would continue his public service throughout his life. At the occasion of his 85th birthday, he received proclamations of appreciation from both the Town and the State. Among his many achievements were membership on: The Board of Canvassers in Essex County, National Conference of Mayors, Advisory Council of Junior Achievement, Essex County GOP Committee, and the Elizabeth and Meadowlands Civic and Improvement Association which he founded. He was a member of the Millburn Old Guard, Canoe Brook C.C., and a former member of Maplewood C.C. and the Spring Lake Bath & Tennis Club. He volunteered at New Eyes for the Needy and traveled with Joan extensively throughout the world. Of all of his life achievments, he said he was most proud of his family. His good humor, optimism, and great spirits will be missed by all of those who knew him.