Jack Collin Thomas

Jack Collin Thomas, 61, of Hershey died at his home on Friday, March 23, 2018. Born in Lancaster, PA on December 10, 1956 he was the son of the late Jack Herr Thomas and the late Joanne Hostetter Thomas. Jack graduated from Hershey High School in 1975 and received his BA in History from Lebanon Valley College. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Hershey. Surviving are his Uncle Dr. H. Glenn Hostetter and wife Carol of Bremerton, WA; Uncle Robert N. Thomas and wife Ruth of Myerstown, PA; Aunt Doris Thomas Shull of Elizabethtown, PA; Aunt Virginia Thomas Bowman of Linglestown, PA; and Aunt Thelma Thomas Clark, wife of Robert V. Clark of Mechanicsburg, PA. Also, many cousins survive Jack. He was preceded in death by Uncle Lee A. Thomas, Uncle Donald L. Thomas, Aunt Frances Thomas Lucy, and cousin Robert Steven Clark. Jack was the first ROTC cadet at Lebanon Valley College to be commissioned, under joint venture with Dickinson College, into the U.S. Army Reserves. Jack honorably served his country with twenty-one years of active duty military service and retired as CPT USAR, Pennsylvania National Guard. Jack was one of the original members of the Hershey Chocolate Civil War Club, later to be known as the Hershey Civil War Round Table, as well as a member of the Harrisburg Civil War Round Table since 1987, and the Camp Curtain Civil War Round Table since 1993, and a board member at Camp Curtain Civil War Round Table from 2004-2008. Jack was Program Speaker Director for the Hershey Civil War Round Table from 1999-2012 and served as Past President of the Hershey Civil War Round Table from 2000-2007. He was one of the founding members of the Civil War Round Table and World War II Round Table. Jack raised funds for Battlefield Preservation from 2001-2011 and participated in the 90th PA monument clean up at Gettysburg from 2002-2011. He was honored with the J. Howard Wert Award of Merit for his dedication and efforts in the field of Civil War history. He also received a Certificate of Recognition from the House of Representatives, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for his significant efforts to preserve the history of the Civil War. Funeral services will be held on Friday, March 30, 2018 at 11AM from Kreamer Funeral Home and Crematory Inc., 618 E. Main Street, Annville. Interment with military honors will be in Hershey Cemetery with his parents and grandparents, Dr. H. H. Hostetter and his wife Sara. There will be a viewing held from 10AM until 11AM at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The Hershey Civil War Round Table, P.O. Box 369, Palmyra, PA 17078.

Jack Collin Thomas

December 10, 1956 - March 23, 2018