John Thomas

John H. “J.T” Thomas, 81, a resident of the Shippensburg Health Care Center, died on the morning of January 21, 2012, at the Chambersburg Hospital.

He was born on February 1, 1930, in Shippensburg, a son of the late Jerry C. and Violet R. Fitzgerald Thomas. John served in the U.S. Navy.

Upon his discharge, John bought the former Varsity Shoppe and operated it from 1952 until 1961. During this time, John became an honorary member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, Zeta Tau Chapter, in 1960, because of his interaction with the members who patronized the V-Shoppe. He also worked at Domestic Pump, the Beistle Company, and retired from the Hub City Club in 2008, where he worked as a bartender.

John was a member of the Hub City Club, the Minnequa Social Club, and the Durff-Kuhn V.F.W. Post #6168, all of Shippensburg. He was an avid Penn State football fan, an outdoorsman, who loved to be in the mountains, fishing and hunting with his Black Labs.

He is survived by two daughters, Nancy Ellen Thomas of Shippensburg and Claudia R. Spisak and husband Robert C. Martin, Jr. of Newburg; three sons, John Thomas of Silver Dale, WA, James Thomas of Washington, D.C., and Joseph Thomas of Shippensburg; two sisters, Martha Jones and Mary Swidler and two brothers, Richard E. Thomas and Jerry Thomas, a step-sister, Betty Jane and husband Richard Wyrick, all of Shippensburg; and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.

In addition to his parents, John was preceded in death by his wife, Erma M. Sholtis Thomas; two sisters, Geraldine Sears and Mildred Ruth; two brothers who died in infancy, James and Jacob Thomas, and his step-mother, Marie Thomas.

John’s memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, January 27, 2012, at the Fogelsanger-Bricker Funeral Home, Inc., Shippensburg. The Rev. Paul K. Hauk will officiate. Interment will follow in the Spring Hill Cemetery. Visitation will be Friday afternoon, from 12:30 p.m. until 2:00 p.m., at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions may be made to the West End Fire & Rescue Co., at 49 Lurgan Ave. Shippensburg, PA 17257.