The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

/Don Thomas Dies in England Atsl/"fr~i V/76 The last family operator of one of Belleville's most fami- liar and longest-owned family stores has died suddenly in England, where he had retir- ed. Donald Arthur (Don) Thom- as, 61, died Sunday at his home in Caterham, Surrey. He was long active in Belle- ville's community affairs and served six terms as a city councillor. Mr. Thomas was the last member of his family to own the store -- which still bears the Thomas name -- on Front St., south of the Four Corners. It was opened in the mid-19th - l"̂ K century on the east 'bank of the Moira River as a general store, it later wts run by Jjis father, Ed, one of the city's most prominent sport orga- nizers. Mr. Thomas took over the business from his father -- and also himself was active in sports. But, his community partici- pation was wide-ranging. He was a former president of thje Kinsmen's Club and also as- sisted in local theatre produc- tions. ' He served overseas as an artilleryman in second world War. He was first elected alder- man in 1949 and served suc- cessive one-year terms to the end of 1954 -- when he ran unsuccessfully in a three-way race for mayor. Mr. Thomas sold the family business some years ago and later became night manager at the Queen's Hotel. Then, two years ago he leB Canada and took up residencji in England, where he married,vi He leaves his wife, Kath- \ leen, a stepdaughter, Frances, 1 and a sister, Mrs. Ajt^^anJ Shapley, Simcoe, Ont. The funeral will be held in^ Er gland. DONALD T he