Edith R. Thomas

Born in Pennsylvania, a daughter of the late Celeste H. and Alelia (Turner) Berty, she was the Valedictorian of her graduating class at Falls Creek High School in PA. She then attained a three year diploma at the Philipsburg State Hospital School of Nursing, her B.S.N. Ed. in Biological Sciences from Boston University, 1955, and Master’s in Administration from Boston University in 1957. She attended summer sessions on administration of associate degree Nursing programs at the University of Vermont and Columbia University.

Her Nursing experience included Maple Avenue Hospital, DuBois, PA; Mount Sinai Hospital, Cleveland, OH; New England Deaconess Hospital, Boston, MA; Quincy Hospital, Quincy, MA; Lawrence General Hospital, Lawrence, MA; and the Truesdale Hospital in Fall River, MA. She also was a teacher at Beth Israel Hospital School of Nursing as an instructor in the Basic Sciences and Clinical Supervision and Associate Director of the Union Hospital School of Nursing Diploma Program. During the last 15 years of her career, she worked at Bristol Community College Division of Health Technologies where she was the Founder of and First Director of the Associate Degree in Nursing Program, Chairperson of the Division of the Health Technologies Programs and was one of two people named Elected Professor Emerita at B.C.C. in the college’s first years.

She was a member of First Primitive Methodist Church in Fall River where she was a Sunday School Teacher, Youth Leader, and Choir Member, and later a member of First Congregational Church of Fall River and its Ladies Benevolent Association and Bogle Women’s Group. She was also an Associate member of Christ Methodist Church in Fort Lauderdale, where she was a member of the Wesley group and United Women’s Fellowship.

Active in her community, she was a board member of the Fall River District Nursing Association, Family Service Association of Greater Fall River, and People Inc. She was also a member of the District, State and National American Nursing Associations, the National League for Nursing, and the National League for Nursing Council of Associate Degree Programs in Nursing. She was on the Board of Review for Accreditations of Associate Degree Nursing Programs, the Visitor to Associate Degree Programs seeking or maintaining accreditations, a member and chairman of the State Association of Degree Nursing Programs, and the New England Council of Higher Education in Nursing. (NECHEN)

Along with Mrs. Thomas’s vast and expansive career, she was on the board of Corporators of the Citizens-Union Savings Bank. In addition, she was a Brownie Scout Leader, a Charter Member of the Fall River Evening Lioness Club and the Fall River Carousel Lions Club and a member of the Women’s Golf Association of the Fall River Country Club.

Surviving in addition to her husband are daughters Sandra D. Wood and her husband Donald and Linda J. Thomas, all of Fall River, sisters Eleanor White of Georgia and Evelyn Kunze of Texas, and numerous nieces and nephews. She was the sister of the late Norman, Arthur, Maurice, Allen, Emma and Ethel.

Private arrangements are in the care of Waring-Sullivan Home of Memorial Tribute Fall River. Tributes: www.waring-sullivan.com