Edward Bishop Bish Thomas

THOMAS Edward Bishop Bish Thomas Navy CPO, firefighter in Morris Twp. and Mendham, 77 Edward Bishop Bish Thomas died on Tuesday, June 26, 2007, at his home in Chester, after a long illness of asbestos-related lung cancer. He was 77. Visitation will be at the Bailey Funeral Home, 176 Main St., Peapack, N.J. 07977 (908)234-0590, on Thursday, June 28, 2007, from 4 until 8 p.m. Funeral services will be at the Chapel of Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Pleasant Hill Road, Chester, at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 29, 2007. Everyone will meet at the cemetery. Interment will be at the Pleasant Hill Cemetery following the funeral service. Born on Delmar Avenue in Morris Plains, Mr. Thomas lived in Mendham, Long Valley and Brick before moving to Chester six years ago. He was a member of IBEW Local 581 in Morristown for 30 years, and worked as a road supervisor for the Nordling-Dean Electric Company before retiring in 1982. He served in the U.S. military during the Korean War in the National Guard and the U.S. Navy on the heavy cruisers USS Roanoke, USS Pittsburg, and USS Newport News as a chief petty officer. He played trumpet in the Admirals Band. Mr. Thomas was a life member of both the Fairchild Fire Company of the Morris Township Fire Department and the Mendham Fire Department, and was a past member of the Mendham First Aid Squad. He was predeceased by his parents, Bish and Marion Thomas of Morris Plains, Mountain Lake and Chester. He is survived by his wife, Barbara (McDonald) of Chester; two sons, Edward and his wife, Mary, of Chester, and Joseph and his wife, Liza, of Mountain Lake; his daughter, Cheryl T. Freeman of the Chester area; seven grandchildren, Justen, Katlyn, Catherine, Julian, Angela, Edward and Dane; two sisters, Erla Ambrose and her husband, Ron, of Long Valley and Alberta Gallagher and her husband, Ed, of Mountain Lake, and many loving nieces and nephews. Memorial donations may be made in his name to the Mendham Fire Department, Chester Fire Department, Mendham First Aid Squad, Chester First Aid Squad, or to the Carol Simon Cancer Treatment Center in Morristown. Envelopes for each will be available at the funeral home.