Obituary of Fred A. Thomas

Fred A. Thomas of Belmar and formerly of Midland Park, 86, died on January 4, 2016, after a brief illness. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Fred graduated from Germantown High School, enlisted for two years in the U.S. Navy – Air Division, and graduated from LaSalle College. His winning personality and easy way with people made him a natural salesman and he built a successful career as such with the Burroughs Corporation, Anker Data Systems and then his own company. He met and married the love of his life, Lucy, in Philadelphia. They eventually settled in Midland Park, where they lived for 47 years. He was a parishioner at the Church of the Nativity in Midland Park, a member of the Holy Name Society and an usher at the 7 p.m. Mass for many years. Fred and Lucy retired from Midland Park to their Jersey Shore beach house in Belmar in 2007 and were members of St. Rose of Lima Church. He volunteered at Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune, driving the golf cart transport where his natural ease with people garnered him a whole arena of new friends. Fred had a lifelong passion for cars and airplanes. He delighted in discussing both with family and friends and in attending car and air shows. He was a master of classic movie and big band era music trivia, read the Wall Street Journal cover-to-cover daily and was a measured source of practical, astute and often droll advice to his children and grandchildren, all of whom will miss him dearly. Fred is survived by his wife of 61 years, Lucy, their four children Diane Muenzen and her husband, Dr. Christopher P., Fred Thomas and his wife Patricia, Rosanne Matzat and her husband Gregory, Lisa Dickinson and her husband Charles; eight grandchildren: Christopher, Gregory, Elizabeth, Meredith, Robert, Karl, Reid, and John. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews. Visitation will be held at the Vander Plaat Funeral Home, 257 Godwin Ave., Wyckoff (vpfh.com), from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 10th. The Funeral Mass will be held at The Church of the Nativity, 315 Prospect St., Midland Park at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, January 11th. Interment will follow in George Washington Memorial Park in Paramus. Memorial Contributions in Fred’s memory may be made to the Belmar First Aid Squad, P.O. Box 636, Belmar, NJ 07719.