Jim Thomas.
Jim Arron Thomas, beloved husband of Pearlene Lois Holloway, went home to be with the Lord Sunday, March 19, 2023, at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Jim was the son of the late Dave Thomas and Mildred Bruton Thomas.
Jim was born September 28, 1938, in Mt. Gilead, North Carolina. He attended Montgomery County public school. Also, he was a member of Walls Chapel Baptist Church. Jim resided there until 1957, when he moved to New Haven, CT where he met his wife, Pearlene. During their 63 years of marriage, they had two daughters Michelle and Marsha, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
Jim worked as a forklift driver for I’ Hershman Wastepaper Company on East St. in New Haven, CT. He enjoyed his career, but his family was his priority. Although he left NC, he and his youngest brother James would frequently travel back home, and it was always a fun reunion with family and friends. Jim loved his wife, children, siblings, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Jim loved TV westerns (especially Gunsmoke), Judge Judy, The Price is Right, and Walker Texas Ranger. Also, he loved watching baseball. He was an avid Red Sox fan. Furthermore, he enjoyed watching Clint Eastwood, Halloween, and action movies with his grandchildren. His musical tastes included Motown artist James Brown, and Bobby Jones Gospel. He also liked dancing.
In good health, he would walk around outside and sit in his courtyard and talk with the neighbors. Jim was generous, big-hearted, and always kept his license renewed with no car. He had his special sayings to his loved ones like, “Cole Bowl,” “ain’t got no job I don’t know about you,” “don’t go out after dark,” “your head is hard,” “I’m alright,” “what you doing here this late,” and “Ri! Ri!”
Jim was very thoughtful, he always asked how people were if he hadn’t seen them in a while, or knew they were sick. He loved to be groomed, had meaningful tattoos that illustrated that he was a hard worker, fighter, and persevered through adversity. These were just some of his strengths. Jim was protector of his children, grandchildren, and family. He would have pizza on Friday nights after work with his children or go to Bowl Drive-In and social gatherings.
Jim was preceded in death by his siblings, Otis Thomas, Bonnie Thomas, David (Buck) Thomas, Elise Thomas, Georgia Welch, and Vaggaree (Sue) Smith (all of North Carolina), and Hester Pankey of New Jersey; as well as nieces, Sandra Smith and Charlotte Knight; and nephew, Willie Smith.
Jim leaves to cherish his memories two daughters, Marsha Ann Thomas of New Haven CT and Jan Michele (Jesse) Murphy of West Haven CT; eight grandchildren, Candis (Teisha), Athena, James (Keisha), Jessica, Melissa, Jamar, Nicole (Tobias), and RayJahqwan; great-grandchildren, Neriah and Joseph; sisters, Mattie Thomas of Mt. Gilead NC and Eva (Candi) Christian of Troy, NC; brothers, Augusta (Gus) Thomas MT. Gilead, NC and James Thomas (Geneva) of West Haven, CT; brother-in-law, Leonard Holloway (Geneva); mother-in-law, Mary Berry of Wichita, Kansas; nieces, Carol, Monique, Renee, and Lisa; nephew, Ed; as well as a host of nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, family, and friends.