The Venerable Trevor Emrys George Thomas

The Venerable Trevor E. G. Thomas, 95, of Westerly, passed away in his sleep after a brief illness on Sunday, December 27, 2020, at Westerly Hospital. He was the husband of Laura Lee (Swanson) Thomas, who died in 2007. They were married for 56 years. Born in Cardiff, Wales, he was the son of the late Philip Thomas and Sarah Beatrice (George) Thomas.

Trevor was an exceptionally kind man and pillar of his community. He was a member of the Board of Governors of the Shelter Harbor Fire District for decades, and contributed many stories, facts, and photos to the Shelter Harbor historical archives. His neighbors speak of how much they enjoyed chatting with him on his daily walks around the neighborhood, always dressed in a suit coat and hat.

Trevor first came to Shelter Harbor in 1950, when he followed the love of his life to America. Trevor met Laura Lee in Assisi, Italy, in 1949, and was immediately smitten. He arrived, a freshly graduated divinity student with limited prospects. Fortunately, his future father-in-law, Dr. Fritz J. Swanson, had connections in the Episcopal Church, and Trevor was ordained a priest and given the parish at Holy Innocents Church in West Orange, NJ, in the Episcopal Diocese of Newark. He was later made archdeacon (awarding him the title “Venerable”). He was the priest at Holy Innocents from 1951 until his retirement in 1989, when he and Laura Lee moved to her family’s home in Shelter Harbor. Since then, Trevor has been a contributing member and visiting priest at Christ Church in Westerly, where he is best remembered for his soothing voice reading Scriptures, especially at the annual Lessons and Carols service.

Trevor leaves his children, David Thomas and his wife Dana, Brian Thomas and his wife Marilyn, and Anne Thomas, who has had the great fortune to live with her father for the past eight years, enabling him to stay in his Shelter Harbor home; his grandchildren, Trevor Lee Thomas and his wife Phoebe, Cole Thomas and his wife Emily, Katherine Stoiber and her husband Andrew, Maggie Coats-Thomas, and Owen Coats-Thomas; his great-grandchildren, Ada, John, Trevor, and Grant; and his nephew, Philip Gwyn Jones.

A celebration of Trevor’s life will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in his name to Christ Church, Westerly.

Buckler-Johnston Funeral Home, 121 Main St. Westerly, RI 02891 is assisting the family with arrangements. For online condolences, please visit www.buckler-johnston.com