Jerome Benny Thomas

Jerome Benny Thomas, formerly of Amsterdam, Ohio; Chicago, Illinois; Bradenton, Florida; and ultimately, Bear, Delaware, finished his race on September 12, 2022, at the age of 94.  Jerry was born to Basilio and Valentina Tomasi, a coal miner and homemaker, in Amsterdam, Ohio.  After graduating from high school, he served in the US Army with a tour in Sasebo, Japan, doing reconstruction after WWII.   Upon returning home, he trained as an electrician at Washburn Trade School in Chicago.  While attending a dance in Willow Springs, Illinois, he met and married the woman he would love the rest of his life, Josephine.  He worked construction as an apprentice and journeyman on the Gold Coast of Chicago for several years; then, with a growing family, he became a City of Chicago electrician for the Water Filtration Department until his retirement. He was a proud IBEW Local 134 member for 69 continuous years. 

He and his wife and partner, Josephine, were married for 60 years until her death.  They married at St. Mary Star of the Sea Church and were parishioners until they left Chicago for retirement in Florida. They were parishioners at Sts. Peter and Paul in Bradenton, FL, then St. Margaret of Scotland in Delaware. 

He was a wonderful loving father to his children with family camping trips and hikes in the forest preserves of Chicago and many long road trips all across the US.  He constructed ice skating rinks in the backyard in winter, dried tears and listened kindly to all the issues his children came across in life. He gave his good advice and repairman abilities, keeping work clothes at each child’s house so that he could work when he visited. 

He will be forever missed by his children — Anthony Thomas of Naperville, IL; Marilyn Berman of Bear, DE; and Carolyn (Richard) DeMont of Bear, DE; and Susan Baker of Houston, Texas — and relatives and friends he met everywhere he went.

He was immensely proud of his five grandchildren, Rob and Andrew Berman of Bear, DE, and NY, NY; and Samuel (Heather), Daniel, and Mary Grace Baker of Houston, Texas.  He was also a great-grandpa of Aaron Jerome Baker, whom he will meet in heaven, and Colton DeWitt Baker of Kingwood, Texas.

He was a wonderful son and brother, husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.  He could fix anything that was broken, and a humbler man you will not meet.

We will miss him forever.

A Memorial Mass will be held at 11:30 am on Monday October 3, 2022 at St. Margaret of Scotland Church, 2431 Frazer Road, Newark with a committal service to follow at 1:00 pm in Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 2465 Chesapeake City Road, Bear, Delaware.

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