On 4/19/19, our beloved father/grandfather, Robert Arthur Thomas, was reunited with the love of his life and with our Lord. Born in Homestead, PA, Robert Thomas served in the US Navy for 3 years at the rank of E5. After the Korean War, he attended Penn State University and was offered a position at Bell Laboratories in Murray Hill, NJ. He worked in the Shockley Group, where he was involved in the building of the first CW Nd:YAG laser. He later co-founded Lambda Optics, which was sold in 1975 to Litton Industries. Two years later, he founded Virgo Optics and sold the company in 1989 to Sandoz Pharmaceuticals. In 1997, he founded TwinStar Optics in Port Richey, Fl. He was an icon in the photonics industry and was a significant part in the way the industry evolved. His passion for his work was only superseded by the love for his family. He is survived by his four children, Michael, Mary Beth, Sharon, and Peter and his eight grandchildren, Matthew, Melissa, Chase, Claire, Cameron, Conner, Ashley, and Austin.
