Thomas, George Riley, 87, Westbrook; in Scarborough, October 25, 2008. Arrangements are under the guidance of Independent Death Care, Portland.
Westbrook – George Riley Thomas, 87, son of John and Pansy Watson Thomas, died Saturday, October 25, 2008. He was born in Presque Isle on March 17, 1921. He graduated from Presque Isle High School and joined the Army-Air Corps and served as a medic during WWII.
He was a potato farmer until 1963 when he relocated to Windham and worked at the Maine Correctional Center until he retired and moved to Venice, Florida. There he fished and walked the beaches. He spent a few years in Bell Buckle, TN before returning to Maine in 2005. In 2006, he became a resident at the Maine Veterans Home in Scarborough. He was a member of the St. Alban Commandery and Presumpscot Lodge, the Kora Shriners of Lewiston and the Kora Klown Unit of the North East Shrine Clown Association. He was also a past Commander and lifetime member of the American Legion. He was predeceased by his wife, Eleanor Ruth Lewis of Steep Falls and a sister Jacqueline Thomas Martin of Fort Fairfield.
He is survived by his sons, Gary of Naples and his wife Ingrid and their daughters Jada and Elana, John of Portland and his sons Carl, Evan and Matthew; and daughter Debrah and her husband Rick Goss of Westbrook and their sons Kriss Goss, Greg and Scott Miller; his great-grandchildren include Ayzia and Jaren Thomas, Shelby and Samantha Miller, Carl Lawrence and Jonathan Thomas.
A celebration of his life was held at St. Maximilian Kolbe Church at 150 Black Point Road in Scarborough on Monday, November 3, 2008, at 10 a.m.
We would like to thank the Maine Veterans Home, all of the staff and residents and especially his godmother Jeannin for the wonderful years that he spent there. He told us many times during his final years, “I am having the time of my life!”
His children remember George as a man who always believed that the place where he was, be it Maine, Florida or Tennessee, was the best – most wonderful place to be. We are sure that is still the case.
Arrangements are under the guidance of Independent Death Care, 471 Deering Avenue, Portland. Condolences may be expressed to the family and a guest book signed at the obituary page at www.independentdeathcare.com.
