JOHN C. "JACK" THOMAS

Dear Gerry .. How did I miss this .. horrors , I feel simply awful . What a love to the world Jack is and was . My heart goes out to you .. Sadly , your friend Lydia Shire

Geri-I just heard of Jack´s passing. There are no words to describe the loss of this great man. He brought such pleasure to so many through his thoughts and words. He incited passionate discourse and encouraged us to take another good look at the world around us and see the details. I am profoundly sad for you and your family, yet I know you have many joyful memories to sustain you. There will never be another like him and it will be hard for anyone to master the opening paragraph of an article the way Jack did. My heart goes out to you.

We sent this letter to Jack a year ago when we heard about his illness:
Jack,

I read your wonderful piece in the Globe and asked Matt for your email. We, my brothers,sister and I, are so touched and excited by your setting up the Tom Winship Scholarship fund for a promising student of journalism. I was blown away by what you wrote about Dad and my mother. I have never read such a deeply inspired, heartfelt description of journalism which movingly highlighted the many people who all play such an important role in getting out the news. Dad would be thrilled to read it! I can hear him saying "Jack Thomas is a beautiful man!" which he said about you and maybe even to you! I was the oldest teenager who hammered incessantly on him to see how wrong Vietnam was and I so regret not getting to know you more back then.

Jack, thank you so much for remembering and honoring him the way you have.

You ARE a beautiful man! You are a guide now for what we all will face. Thank you, Jack
.
Warmly,

Peg, Larry, Josie and Ben (Tom Winship's children )

Jack was a neighbor who enlarged the world for all of us living in Boston and beyond. We send love to the family. Terry, Beth & Ari

I just learned of Jack's passing. I am so sorry for Geri and his children, and for the world he made better with his great heart, his wit and his compassion. It is no longer as bright as it once was. Godspeed, Jack.

Sincere condolences to Jack's family & friends. We were classmates at NU and co-op coworkers at the Boston Globe. He will be forever in our hearts. I know he is still with you all in spirit. He is in the "next Room" as it were. You know he's there you just don't see him. It was through Jack's obit that I learned another classmate/co-worker at the Globe-Bryant Rollins passed in July.

My dear Jack, over the years I have enjoyed so much the many conversations with you about so many topics like the Stoics, investments, and yes, squash.
I and many, many others will miss you immensely.
RIP, my dear friend.

Jack lived every day demonstrating that he could be a great journalist and at the same time have a great, big heart. He was a very special person. My thoughts go out to Geri and his family.

Though we were competitors on the same beat, I considered Jack a true colleague and friend. I cherish the memories of our adventures, and the times our families were together socially. Much love to Geri, John Patrick and the whole Thomas family.

My wife Sandy (Goroff) and I both loved and admired Jack. He was erudite, compassionate and kind, and he was one of a kind.

I adored and always will adore this man...he was more than a friend and if possible,more than a brother. He lived and played in a league of his own and we shall not see his like again.
Jim Coppersmith

I worked at the Globe for a number of years and got the chance of knowing Jack. He once wrote a story about my family and having mother/father both working at the same time. He was such a gentleman and all around decent human being. R.I.P. Jack. You will be missed. The Bugle is a greater place today when they brought you onto the staff.

A loyal friend, a treasured colleague for more than half a century.

When Jack was young, in his mid 20s, he was assigned by the Globe to escort me to the Beatles concert in 1964 at the Boston Garden. He smuggled me into their pre concert press conference and the photo here is the one that accompanied his story about the moment we shared. He was so kind, caring, protective and understanding. Whenever I think of THE MOMENT of my life, I think of Jack and I will forever think him. We met several times after and I adored him. My sincerest condolences go to everyone who knew and loved him. Holding you all in my heart.

To Jack´s Family and Friends:

Please accept my deepest sympathies. You are in my thoughts and prayers.

Sincerely,

Michael Sullivan

Jack was a dear friend and role model. He was both a kind cheerleader for my work at The Sports Museum and a fan of my writing. His thoughtfulness was matched by his zest for living and keen appreciation for the cluster of little things making up the mosaic of each day. His final submission to the Globe was a masterpiece. A home run in his last at bat. Like Ted Williams.

I started reading the Globe in the early 70's and stayed with it ever since primarily because of Jack. A great writer who made us proud to be part of his world.

I am so sorry.

My deepest condolences to all of Jack´s family. Though I never had the honor of meeting him in person, I was inspired by his deep love of journalism and passion for the written word.

Farewell to Jack Thomas, a newspaperman. Insight and grace defined the life he shared with his family and his friends and informed every sentence he wrote.