Thomas N. Schroth

SEDGWICK - Thomas N. Schroth, 88, a retired Washington editor, died peacefully July 23, 2009, at his home. He was born Dec. 21, 1920, in Trenton, N.J., to Frank D. and Loretta Nolan Schroth, one of six children, including an identical twin, Raymond. Tom was married May 1, 1948, to Collette Streit. They had one daughter, Valerie. Tom married Patricia Wiggins, Sept. 27, 1958, and they had three children, Jennifer, Amy and Anne. Immediately after graduating from Dartmouth College in 1943, Tom served in the U.S. Army Air Force during World War II. After the war, he began his career as a journalist, reporting for Time magazine and United Press International, UPI, before joining The Brooklyn Eagle, Brooklyn, N.Y., first as a reporter, eventually as editor. After the demise of the Brooklyn Eagle, he joined Congressional Quarterly, Washington, D.C., as executive editor, leaving in 1968 to become a founding editor of National Journal, Washington, D.C. In 1972 the Schroths moved to Sedgwick, where Tom became executive editor of The Ellsworth American, published by his father-in-law, James Russell Wiggins. In 1977 he left The Ellsworth American and he and his wife published Maine Life Magazine for six years. Later, with their friend, Elsie Fanning, they formed New Leaf Publishers, which published several classic books and an authoritative catalogue for button collectors. Tom was very active in Maine politics and community affairs. He was co-chair of Hancock County Democrats, a member of the Maine State Democratic Committee and attended his sixth national Democratic Convention in 2000. He was elected selectman of the town of Sedgwick from 1989 to 1994. He was on the board of directors of Blue Hill Memorial Hospital, Bangor Symphony Orchestra, Blue Hill Concert Association, Island Nursing Home, Deer Isle, and Downeast Transportation, Inc. Tom is survived by his wife of 51 years, Patricia; four children, Valerie Schroth and her husband, John Barry, Jennifer Schroth and her husband, Jonathan Ellsworth, Amy Schroth and her husband, Alfredo Lujan, and Anne Schroth; and five grandchildren, Nolan, Walker, Mabel, Peter and Daniel. A memorial service is planned for 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 1, at Rockbound Chapel, Brooklin.