Senate Resolution No. 4787

BY: Senator SERINO

HONORING John E. Thomas upon the occasion of his
designation as recipient of the 2018 Older New
Yorker of the Year Award

WHEREAS, Senior citizens bring a wealth of experience and knowledge
to the increasingly active roles they play in today's society; their
past contributions and future participation are a vital part of, and
valuable asset to, the fabric of community life and activity; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
John E. Thomas upon the occasion of his designation as recipient of the
2018 Older New Yorker of the Year Award; and

WHEREAS, A man of singular distinction, he has continually
demonstrated extreme competence, extraordinary intelligence and diligent
leadership in his unwavering service to his community and, consequently,
has been selected for this most prestigious honor; and

WHEREAS, Born in 1938, in Leominster, Massachusetts, John E. Thomas
graduated from Leominster High School in 1956; he then earned his degree
in engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1961;
and

WHEREAS, During this time, John E. Thomas met and married the former
Nancy Hanlon; in May of 2018, the couple will celebrate their 55th
Wedding Anniversary; and

WHEREAS, John E. Thomas proudly served his country as a member of
the United States Navy aboard the USS Boston in the early 1960s; he took
part in exercises in the Mediterranean, off of Northern Europe, the
Caribbean and the United States East Coast; and

WHEREAS, Upon the completion of his military service, John E. Thomas
and his wife settled down in Clinton, Connecticut, where they raised
their two children, Kari and Derik; John began his long and
distinguished career at Turbo Products, an airplane turbine blade
manufacturing company, as an engineer and worked his way into the
personnel department; and

WHEREAS, In this capacity, John E. Thomas served as a voice for the
factory worker; he worked tirelessly to ensure a high standard of
quality and safety in the turbine manufacturing industry; and

WHEREAS, In 2006, John E. Thomas and his wife retired and moved to
Hyde Park, New York, where they became active members of the Hyde Park
United Methodist Church; currently, John serves on the Board of
Trustees, and is always ready and willing to lend a helping hand
wherever needed; and

WHEREAS, Between 2008 and 2014, John E. Thomas traveled to Haiti
four times to help those who are less fortunate; through sometimes poor
conditions, he strived to improve life for the people who lived there by

making much needed repairs at an orphanage, school, medical center and a
small village in the mountains; and

WHEREAS, In addition to his valuable work in Haiti, John E. Thomas
has traveled extensively throughout the United States helping men, women
and children by rebuilding their communities destroyed by various
natural disasters; and

WHEREAS, John E. Thomas also enjoys assisting his fellow New
Yorkers; he helped the citizens of Walden clean up after flooding, and
traveled to Long Island many times to aid in cleanup and rebuilding
efforts during the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy; and

WHEREAS, A truly compassionate and dedicated man, John E. Thomas is
a volunteer with Rebuilding Together Dutchess County, a local
not-for-profit organization which is dedicated to transforming the lives
of low-income homeowners by improving the safety and health of their
homes and revitalizing its communities; and

WHEREAS, When he is not helping someone, John E. Thomas can often be
found running along the streets of his neighborhood; a member of the
Mid-Hudson Road Runner Club, he has logged over 50,000 miles since he
began jogging in 1979; through the years, he has won over 100 first
place awards for winning his age group; and

WHEREAS, John E. Thomas embodies the principles and ideals that make
us proud to be Americans and has been an active volunteer for many
decades; and

WHEREAS, Rare indeed is the impressive dedication shown by an
individual for the benefit of others which John E. Thomas has displayed
throughout his life; and

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that those who
enhance the well-being and vitality of their community and have shown a
long and sustained commitment to excellence certainly have earned the
recognition and applause of all the citizens of this great Empire State;
now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor John E. Thomas upon the occasion of his designation as recipient
of the 2018 Older New Yorker of the Year Award; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to John E. Thomas.