2nd October 2013

A Tribute ...........

The South Wales Province was shocked to learn of the untimely passing of Assistant Provincial Grand Master, W Bro Jeffrey Parry Thomas PSGD. 

W Bro Thomas was a committed and dedicated member of the Craft and of the order of The Royal Arch. 

He was also an enthusiastic member of The Ancient and Accepted Rite. 

Having realised a very successful Masonic career, he typically never forgot his roots.  

CRAFT
In addition to his proud boast of being "a Briton Ferry boy", his Masonic priority at all times was his mother lodge at Neath, the Gnoll Lodge. He was initiated into "The Gnoll" in 1976, and was Master of that lodge in 1986. Thereafter he served the lodge as both Treasurer, and as lodge Secretary for many years. 

HOLY ROYAL ARCH
He was a Past First Principal of The Gnoll Chapter, serving as First Principal in both 1993 and 1994, and was Secretary of that Chapter at the time of his passing. 

ROSE CROIX
He also served as MWS of the Neath Chapter of the order of The Ancient and Accepted Rite for two successive years in 2001 and 2002. In the Ancient and Accepted rite, he held 31 degrees

PROVINCE
A joining member of The Provincial Grand Stewards' Lodge and The Lord Swansea Lodge, he was Installed as Master of The Lord Swansea Lodge in 2007. 

In Provincial Grand Lodge, Bro Thomas was appointed Provincial Grand Steward in 1991 and promoted to PPrSGD in 1996. Appointed Provincial Grand Charity Steward from 2003 to 2008, he was further recognised within Provincial Grand Lodge with his appointment as Provincial Senior Grand Warden in '2009. 

He was invited to become an Executive Officer within Provincial Grand Lodge and invested as Assistant Provincial Grand Master at a meeting of the R.P. St John Charles lodge in Swansea in February 2011 

Jeffrey Parry Thomas was a big man with a big heart, a big personality and an infectious laugh. Despite his physical presence, Bro Thomas never made anyone feel inferior in his presence and certainly never looked down on anyone. 

It is not overstating the fact that he was a leading authority in his professional field of metallic engineering. Specialising in metal plating, Bro Thomas' knowledge and expertise in adhesive and cohesive forces at a nano-technology level was sought all over the world.  He was often invited to deliver papers at leading academic centres and had spoken in New York, Toronto, South America, all over the European Continent and, at the time of his passing, was due to visit the University of Shanghai to speak on his expert field. 

Bro Thomas leaves a wife Carol, a son and a daughter.  He was a devoted family man - being particularly close to his numerous grandchildren.

He gave much to the South Wales Province, to Freemasonry in Neath and to his beloved Gnoll lodge in particular.