BRADFORD: William J. Thomas, 89, died Thursday, October 1, 2009 at his residence. He was the husband of the late Helen (Mahoney) Thomas who died in March 2007.
Born in Haverhill on July 19, 1920, he was the son of the late Harry and Marie (Cote) Thomas. William resided in Haverhill all of his life and was a graduate of Haverhill High School class of 1938. A U.S. Army Air Corps. veteran, he proudly served his country during World War II before being honorably discharged in November 1945.
William joined the Haverhill Fire Department in 1946 and from 1970 to 1983 was the City Fire Inspector until his retirement in 1983. He was past president of the Holy Name Society at the Sacred Hearts Church in Bradford, and a retired member of the Local 1011 Firefighters Association. The most important of all was the time he spent with his family and friends. He will be missed by all who knew him.
He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Suzanne M. and Robert M. Taft of Haverhill, two grandchildren, Patrick M. and his wife, Jennifer Taft and Jill A. and her husband, Christopher Brown all of Haverhill.
His funeral mass will be celebrated on Tuesday in the Sacred Hearts Church, S. Main St., Bradford at 9 a.m. Visiting hours will be held on Monday in the Linnehan-Grondin Funeral Home, 52 Salem Street, Bradford from 4-7 p.m. Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend. Expressions of sympathy may be made in his memory to the Haverhill Fire Dept. Relief Assoc., c/o Haverhill Fire Department Credit Union, 75 Kenoza Ave., Haverhill, MA 01830-4132 or to a charity of one's choice. Interment will be held in the Elmwood Cemetery, Bradford.