Thaddeus Victor Sinor

1918 - 2010

Thad Sinor passed away peacefully two days after his 92nd birthday.

Thaddeus Victor Sinor was born Sept. 26, 1918 in Buffalo, N.Y. He graduated from Fosdick-Masten Park High School and was attending Bryant & Stratton College when he left with two buddies for California. When World War II broke out, he moved back to Buffalo vowing to return some day.

Preparing to enlist, he worked at American Optical where he met his future bride, Eleanor Mary Petrocy. While waiting for further orders at Camp Crowder, Eleanor and Thad married on Nov. 13, 1943 in Joplin, Mo. Soon after, Thad was shipped to Hawaii where he repaired cameras for two years for the Army Signal Corp. After returning from the war, Thad and Eleanor began raising their two children, Beverly Ann and Dale Edward.

He enjoyed working for over 10 years for Canadian National Railroad, moving from mail messenger up to chief clerk. During his spare time, he repaired watches until his entrepreneurial spirit got the best of him and he started Sinor's Dependable Jewelers on Harlem Road in Cheektowaga, N.Y. Cold winters and vivid memories of Los Angeles 25 years earlier finally got the best of him when he jumped up one Christmas and said, "We're moving to California." Selling everything, Thad uprooted his family and moved to California, the happiest day in his life, he said.

Finally landing in Ventura, he purchased Airkem Professional Products, a business which he ran for 25 years. Living 45 years in Ventura, Thad played tennis and bridge and was a member of the Ventura Dance Club, but his favorite activities were at the Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club at Channel Islands Harbor where he was a member for 20 years.

He will always be remembered for his great impersonation of Jack Benny in the yacht club's Capers Review. After Eleanor passed away in February 2009, Thad moved in with his son Dale and daughter-in-law Kathie in Aptos, Calif. His great attitude and love of life was with him to the end. He will always be remembered for his wonderful sense of humor and endless repertoire of jokes.

Thad is survived by his two children, Beverly and Dale; two grandchildren, Kirk and Jolene; and four great-grandchildren, Heidi, Quinn, Nicholas and Hayley.