Honor John E. Thomas

Senate Resolution No. 4787 BY: Senator SERINO HONORING John E. Thomas upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of the 2018 Older New Yorker of the Year Award WHEREAS, Senior citizens bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the increasingly active roles they play in today's society; their past contributions and future participation are a vital part of, and valuable asset to, the fabric of community life and activity; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor John E. Thomas upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of the

2018 Older New Yorker of the Year Award; and WHEREAS, A man of singular distinction, he has continually demonstrated extreme competence, extraordinary intelligence and diligent leadership in his unwavering service to his community and, consequently, has been selected for this most prestigious honor; and WHEREAS, Born in 1938, in Leominster, Massachusetts, John E. Thomas graduated from Leominster High School in 1956; he then earned his degree in engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1961; and WHEREAS, During this time, John E. Thomas met and married the former Nancy Hanlon; in May of 2018, the couple will celebrate their 55th Wedding Anniversary; and WHEREAS, John E. Thomas proudly served his country as a member of the United States Navy aboard the USS Boston in the early 1960s; he took part in exercises in the Mediterranean, off of Northern Europe, the Caribbean and the United States East Coast; and WHEREAS, Upon the completion of his military service, John E. Thomas and his wife settled down in Clinton, Connecticut, where they raised their two children, Kari and Derik; John began his long and distinguished career at Turbo Products, an airplane turbine blade manufacturing company, as an engineer and worked his way into the personnel department; and WHEREAS, In this capacity, John E. Thomas served as a voice for the factory worker; he worked tirelessly to ensure a high standard of quality and safety in the turbine manufacturing industry; and WHEREAS, In 2006, John E. Thomas and his wife retired and moved to Hyde Park, New York, where they became active members of the Hyde Park United Methodist Church; currently, John serves on the Board of Trustees, and is always ready and willing to lend a helping hand wherever needed; and WHEREAS, Between 2008 and 2014, John E. Thomas traveled to Haiti four times to help those who are less fortunate; through sometimes poor conditions, he strived to improve life for the people who lived there by making much needed repairs at an orphanage, school, medical center and a small village in the mountains; and WHEREAS, In addition to his valuable work in Haiti, John E. Thomas has traveled extensively throughout the United States helping men, women and children by rebuilding their communities destroyed by various natural disasters; and WHEREAS, John E. Thomas also enjoys assisting his fellow New Yorkers; he helped the citizens of Walden clean up after flooding, and traveled to Long Island many times to aid in cleanup and rebuilding efforts during the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy; and WHEREAS, A truly compassionate and dedicated man, John E. Thomas is a volunteer with Rebuilding Together Dutchess County, a local not-for-profit organization which is dedicated to transforming the lives of low-income homeowners by improving the safety and health of their homes and revitalizing its communities; and WHEREAS, When he is not helping someone, John E. Thomas can often be found running along the streets of his neighborhood; a member of the Mid-Hudson Road Runner Club, he has logged over 50,000 miles since he began jogging in 1979; through the years, he has won over 100 first place awards for winning his age group; and WHEREAS, John E. Thomas embodies the principles and ideals that make us proud to be Americans and has been an active volunteer for many decades; and WHEREAS, Rare indeed is the impressive dedication shown by an individual for the benefit of others which John E. Thomas has displayed throughout his life; and WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that those who enhance the well-being and vitality of their community and have shown a long and sustained commitment to excellence certainly have earned the recognition and applause of all the citizens of this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to honor John E. Thomas upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of the 2018 Older New Yorker of the Year Award; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to John E. Thomas.