Attorney John P. Thomas Attorney John P. Thomas passed away on September 23, 2009 after battling liver cancer and Parkinsons disease. John was born in Hanover Township, Luzerne County, on March 23, 1932. From the age of fifteen, John knew he wanted to be an attorney. He graduated from Mansfield State Teachers College in 1954 and joined the Army soon thereafter. On December 4, 1954, before shipping out to Japan and Korea, he married his college sweetheart, Nancy Rose Eno, whom he deeply adored from the day he met her until the end of his days. After his honorable discharge he taught high school history and coached a wrestling team before entering Dickinson Law School. He made law review and in 1960 graduated with a juris doctor degree in the top ten of his class. John and Nancy then moved to the Lehigh Valley to begin a law practice and start a family. John maintained a private law practice for forty-three years. He also served as the Solicitor for the Borough of Emmaus from 1966 to 1976 and as the first Solicitor for Lehigh County from 1978 to 1983. For decades, he requested the following epitaph: Honest Lawyer"One Flight Up. John was a long time member of the Benevolent & Protective Order of the Elks, serving as Exalted Ruler of Allentown Lodge #130 in 1967-68. He enjoyed playing golf and was a member of Brookside Country Club for many decades. Throughout his life, John loved nothing more than spending time with family and friends, telling stories and enjoying good conversations. He had many friends from all walks of life and was especially known for offering a helping hand to a friend in need. John is survived by his loving wife of 54 years, Nancy E. Thomas of Neffs, and by his children, Richard M. Thomas, of Fleetwood, P.A., Alan J. Thomas of Raleigh, N.C., Jean Marie (Thomas) Livaudais and husband Charles of Raleigh, N.C, and John P. Thomas, Jr. and wife Cindy of East Greenwich, R.I.; by his grandchildren, Tanyamarie Villa, Samantha Thomas, Stephanie Thomas, Benjamin Livaudais, Charles Thomas and Laura Livaudais; and by his brothers, Richard Thomas and wife Margaret of Morrisville, N.C., and William Thomas and wife Dorothy of Plymouth, P.A. He is preceded in death by his parents, Imelda and William Thomas. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 26, 2009 at 11:00 AM in the Schantz Funeral Home, 250 Main Street, Emmaus. Friends may call 10:00 to 11:00 AM in the funeral home. Interment will follow in Emmaus Moravian Cemetery. Online condolences to www.schantzfh.com. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made in Johns memory to LVHHN Hospice, 1247 S. Cedar Crest Blvd, Ste 200, Allentown PA, 18103 or https://secure.lvhhn.org/donations.