Roland W. Thomas

Roland W. Thomas, 90, of Lowman, NY passed away on Friday, May 13, 2016 surrounded by his loving family. Roland was predeceased by his loving wife, Dorothea (Chilson) Thomas of 54 years in 2005; children, Sharon St. Pierre and Roland J. Thomas; parents, Jacob A. and Elsie Shelanskey Thomas; and sisters, Joyce Latini and Greta Flanagan. Roland is survived by a daughter, Linda Buckley; son-in-law, Richard (Cindy) St. Pierre; grandchildren, Kevin and Jared Peel, Nichole and Matthew St. Pierre; and several nieces and nephews. Roland was a 1942 graduate of Waverly High School. He proudly served in the US Air force in the American Theatre during WWII from ‘44 to ‘46. He was a 1953 graduate ofCornell University with a B.S. in Agriculture. Roland was a lifelong farmer and purchased a farm in 1953 in Lowman, NY consisting of dairy, livestock, a variety of crops and topsoil.He was a lifetime member of Chemung County Farm Bureau working as an insurance agent for Farm Family from 1971 through 1988. He retired in 1996 from the USPS after 19 years of dedicated work as a rural mail carrier in Lowman and Wellsburg, NY. Roland was awarded the NYC Archaeological Council Founders Award in 1998 for his dedicated support and generosity of archaeology for many years. Roland enjoyed spending time with his family and friends. He was a loving father, grandfather and friend. He will be greatly missed by all. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Roland J. Thomas Scholarship Fund C/O STC BOCES TNA Memorial, 459 Philo Road, Elmira, NY 14903. Calling hours will be held on Thursday, May 19, 2016 from 6:00PM to 8:00PM at the Olthof Funeral Home, Inc. 1050 Pennsylvania Avenue, Elmira, NY. A funeral service celebrating Roland’s life will be held on Friday, May 20, 2016 at 10:00AM at the funeral home with a burial to follow in the Riverside Cemetery. Roland's guest book may be signed at www.olthof.com.