Obituary of Joan M. Thomas

Thomas --- On Monday, February 27, 2006 unexpectedly Joan Mossey Thomas of Short Hills. Beloved Wife C. Thomas Thomas. Devoted mother of Tara Coniaris, Heather Kowalczyk and C.J. Thomas. Dear sister of Lynn and Robert Mossey. Loving grandmother of Erin, Justin, Charlie, Kendall and Chris. Relatives and friends are invited to attend the Memorial Mass at St. Rose of Lima Church, 50 Short Hills Ave, Short Hills on Fri, March 3rd at 10:00 AM. The family will be receiving friends at The Jacob A. Holle Funeral Home 2122 Millburn Ave, Maplewood on Thursday, 2-4 & 7-9 PM. In lieu of flowers donations to Reeves-Reed Arboretum 165 Hobart Ave, Summit, NJ 07901 or Friends of Millburn Library 200 Glen Ave, Millburn, NJ 07041 would be appreciated. For more information or to send condolences please visit jacobhollefuneralhome.com Joan Mossey Thomas, Corporate Director and Wife of Former Mayor A funeral mass for Mrs. Joan Thomas of Short Hills will be held at 10 a.m. Friday in St. Rose of Lima Church, Short Hills. Arrangements are by the Jacob A. Holle Funeral Home, Maplewood. Mrs. Thomas, who died February 27 at home, was Secretary and Director of the Wayne Steel Corporation, Elizabeth, NJ for over 15 years. An ardent gardener, Mrs. Thomas volunteered at the Reeves-Reed Arboretum in Summit and was also Vice President of the Rolling Hills Garden Club of Short Hills. She was a long time member of the Canoe Brook Country Club, the Spring Lake Bath & Tennis Club and the St. Rose of Lima Ladies Auxiliary. In addition to her volunteer interests, Mrs. Thomas was a former member of the Essex County Republican Committee, and Vice President of the Millburn-Short Hills Republican Club. Mrs. Thomas was a co-founder of Christopher Academy in Westfield, the first Montessori School in New Jersey. Mrs. Thomas was a champion equestrian who won the New Jersey S.P.C.A. championship and was the first woman to win the first three qualifying events held for the National Horse Show Championship. Mrs. Thomas was born in Newark, NJ attended Marylawn Academy in South Orange and the Baird School in Orange before attending college at Sweetbriar College in Virginia and graduating from Finch College in New York City. After raising her children, she returned to school at the Institute of Interior Design of New York and earned her design certificate. She lived in Short Hills for the past 47 years. Mrs. Thomas is survived by her beloved husband of 49 years, former Millburn-Short Hills Mayor Charles Thomas Thomas; her three children, Tara Coniaris, Heather Kowalczyk and C. J. Thomas; her five grandchildren, Erin O’Connor, Justin and Kendall Coniaris, and Charles and Christopher Thomas; as well as her sister, Lynn Mossey and brother, Robert Mossey.