By Corey Everitt
In January, tributes and memories flowed through the pages of the Gazette as the community received the news of the death of popular Pakenham identity and third generation proprietor of the Pakenham-Berwick Gazette, Ian Thomas OAM.
Mr Thomas died at the age of 88 on Wednesday 11 January while tending to his property in Pakenham.
Among serving and running the family business, the Pakenham-Berwick Gazette, for almost 50 years, he is remembered as a stalwart for the Pakenham community he lived his whole life in – contributing to an expansive list of organisations such as the Scouts, the Pakenham and District Agricultural and Horticultural Society, the Berwick-Pakenham Historical Society and the Pakenham Chamber of Commerce.
The Gazette pages were filled with tributes from family, friends and colleagues celebrating Mr Thomas’ life and condolences were given for his wife Dorothy, three children and many grandchildren, with a special commemorative edition also being printed.
Bill Ronald gave tribute as a good friend and as a past president of the Berwick-Pakenham Historical Society, a local organisation the Thomas family have been inextricably linked to since its founding.
“Ian was more than just a friend, advisor and compatriot to numerous members of the Pakenham community; he was always cheerful, obliging and willing to lend a helping hand whenever and wherever assistance was needed,” Mr Ronald wrote.
Mr Thomas’s eulogy was transcribed into the Gazette.
“Ian was always an absolute gentleman and had amazing manners that had been instilled in him from his parents. His temperament came from his mother who he loved enormously. He used to visit her every day after Herb died and was the most amazing son,” said Mr Thomas’ son and now managing director of Star News Group, Paul Thomas at the eulogy.
“He was also the most generous man – nothing was ever too much trouble and he was always the first one to pay if a group or the family went out to dinner.
“Most importantly he loved his family and had the most special relationship and love for his wife of 63 years, Dorothy. The two of them were inseparable and they depended on each other so much.”
