Earl William Thomas

GAITHERSBURG MD- Earl was born on July 2, 1925 in a rural farming area of Biglerville, PA, the son of William Noah Thomas and Katie Mae (Hawkins) Thomas. He was the second oldest child, with older sister, Kate, younger siblings, Betty and Roy, and two infant brothers who died shortly after birth. His mother died when he was only four years old and the children were raised by their paternal grandmother, Julia Ann (Clapper) Thomas. In 1941, he dropped out of school in his sophomore year at Biglerville High School to work on various farms. He entered the U.S. Navy in November 1943 where he was first assigned to Wentworth Institutes Basic Engineering School and subsequently to a Carrier Corporations School for Navy Refrigeration Maintenance and Operations onboard ships. He was then assigned to a new destroyer, USS John W. Weeks - DD701 (as a plank owner), on which he participated with both the Third and Fifth Naval Fleets during the liberation of the Philippines, invasions of Iwo Jima in February 1945 and Okinawa in April 1945. Following these combat operations, his ship was assigned to four months of specific duties related to the U.S. Occupation of Japan. During this period, his ship was the first to enter Japan after the atomic bomb was dropped and he saw the horrific destruction caused by it. He was also at Tokyo Bay Harbor when Japan surrendered on the battleship USS Missouri. He was honorably discharged from active Navy duty in May 1946 as a Machinist Mate 2/C and was awarded with military accommodations including: American Theater Ribbon, Philippine Liberation Ribbon (with one battle star), Pacific Theater Ribbon (with four battle stars) and the Victory Metal. He subsequently served an additional eight years in the inactive Navy Reserves. In later years Earl attended numerous Navy ship reunions with other sailors who had served aboard the USS John W. Weeks during WWII and later. He attended his last reunion in 2017 in which he was the sole WWII veteran present. In 1946, Earl returned to civilian life and finished his remaining three years of high school in one year at Johnstown, PA Veterans High School and received an "A" in all of his courses. All credits were transferred to Biglerville High School where he graduated in person with high honors. From 1947 to 1951, Earl attended the University of Pittsburgh on the GI bill. While there, he served as President of the Student Congress (1948-49), and was President of both the Engineers Club (1948) and the student chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (1950-51). He was named to two honorary fraternities - Phi Theta Kappa and Pi Tau Sigma for his scholastic work. In 1951, he was awarded a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and five years later, became a Registered Professional Engineer. Earl spent his entire working career in the steel industry, joining U.S. Steel after graduation in the Technology Department as a Quality Engineer with responsibilities for 16 plants from 1951-59. From 1960-72, he worked for Crucible Steel in Syracuse, NY developing standard operating procedures for six plants and then became Manager of Quality Services. In 1972, he joined Copperweld Steel in Warren, OH, in Quality Assurance where he was able to get Copperweld approved for making steel used in nuclear power plants. He later became Superintendent of Production Control. He was a member of many technical societies including American Society of Mechanical Engineers, American Iron and Steel Engineers, and American Society of Testing and Materials. Earl retired in October 1991 after 40 years in the steel industry. On August 2, 1952, Earl married Joanne McCartney of Johnstown, PA. They were blessed with three children: Gregory, Karen and Douglas. He was an active father and participated in numerous activities with his children. He built a treehouse in their yard in Pittsburgh, was involved in YMCA Indian Guides with his sons and took his daughter to numerous music competitions over the years. He and Greg learned to sail together at YMCA summer camp and he worked with Doug on the construction of a soapbox derby car which he entered in a race. While marriage and family were most important to Earl, he seemed to have endless energy and volunteered with many organizations throughout his life. He served as Chairman of the YMCA Board, and was Chairman and Trustee at various churches where he lived. After his kids moved on, he volunteered for many years with church youth groups travelling to Appalachia to build and repair homes for those less fortunate. After retiring, Earl devoted much of his time to helping others through his church and within the community. With the Trumbull County SCOPE Senior Organization, he delivered holiday food baskets to needy adult shut-ins and served as a Board Trustee. He was also co-president of the Scope Investment Club. With the Howland American Legion Post 700, he served as Chaplain for numerous years and visited shut-in Post members. He also participated in military funeral services for deceased veterans and placed flags at grave markers of deceased area veterans prior to Memorial Day. He participated in various community projects including the construction of Howland "Tiger Town" and the Township Gazebo, and the creation of flower beds at Howland Scope Center. Earl was also a certified member of the Ohio State University Extension Master Gardener Program in Trumbull County and was active with the Trumbull County Republican Party as Precinct Committee man and a member of the Partys Executive Committee. In addition to his travels with the Navy, Earl and his wife have traveled throughout the United States, visiting 46 states, including Alaska and Hawaii. They have also traveled to Ireland, England, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, The Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Aegean Isles, Canada, Bermuda, Puerto Rico and several other Caribbean islands. In 2013, Earl and Joanne moved to Asbury Methodist Village - a retirement community in Gaithersburg, MD to be closer to their daughter and her family. He remained active there, serving on the food service and floor committees and maintaining a garden plot, with the help of his son-in-law, Gary. He participated in book clubs, an investment club and attended many community sponsored lectures. He is survived by his wife, Joanne (McCartney) Thomas, a son, Gregory (wife, Conni Smiley), and their three sons, Benjamin, Matthew and Kyle, and daughter, Karen (husband, Gary Rubino), and their four daughters, Kristin, Erica, Amy and Julie, and a son, Douglas (wife, Laurie) and their two sons, Ian and Derik. He also has three great-grandsons, Zachary, Deacon and Caleb. He is preceded in death by his father (in 1950), his mother (in 1929), and his three siblings: Kathleen Crum (in 2016), Betty Shryock (in 2017) and Roy Thomas (in 2017). Friends may call 6-8 PM Friday at the Lane Funeral Home, Roberts-Clark Chapel, 180 Garfield Dr. NE in Warren. Friends may also call 10-11AM Saturday, July 7, 2018 at Howland United Methodist Church, where the funeral service will begin at 11AM. Interment in Crown Hill Burial Park.