Anne Theresa (John) Thomas, 91, of New Bedford died Friday April 18, 2008 at her son's home after a brief illness. She was the wife of the late Prof. George J. Thomas, Sr.
Mrs. Thomas was born in New Bedford, the second of eight children born to Nahum and Amelia Rose John who emigrated from Lebanon in 1911.
Mrs. Thomas was well known in this city as the proprietor and manager of Thomas Department Store at 418 Rivet Street in New Bedford's South End. She and her husband operated the business, which was founded in 1912 by her father-in-law, J. S. Thomas, from 1940 until her retirement in 1998. The store was a fixture in the community, and Mrs. Thomas took great pride in her active role as a storekeeper. She spoke with great fondness of her life's work and of all those she came to know over the years.
Mrs. Thomas was a parishioner of Our Lady of Purgatory Church and a member of the Catholic Women's Club for over 50 years.
Survivors include four sons, Prof. George J. Thomas, Jr. and his wife Martha of Kansas City, MO, Paul A. Thomas and his wife Paulette of Cranston, RI, Stephen Thomas of Ashland, and Joseph D. Thomas and his wife Jane of New Bedford; two sisters, Rose M. John and Theresa L. John, both of Dartmouth; her son-in-law, Jeremy T. Harrison of Michigan; her sisters-in-law, Elizabeth John of Dartmouth and Helen Thomas of Baltimore; 14 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
She was the mother of the late Roseanne Thomas Harrison, and the sister of the late Anthony J. John, Joseph A. John, Dr. George R. John, Marie Ann Coury, and Sgt. J. Thomas John.
Her Divine Liturgy will be celebrated on Tuesday at 10 AM at Our Lady of Purgatory Church. Burial will follow in St. John's Cemetery. Visiting hours will be on Sunday from 4-8 PM and Monday from 4-8 PM at the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park St., New Bedford. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, 205 Hallene Rd., Suite 209, Warwick, RI 02886, or Our Lady of Purgatory Church, 11 Franklin St., New Bedford, MA 02740. For directions and guestbook, please visit www.saundersdwyer.com.