William Roland Thomas, 87

William "Bill" Roland Thomas, 87, passed away peacefully at his home on Thursday, June 14, 2007 at Homestead Village with his daughters and his faithful dog, Bonnie, at his side.

Born in Roanoke, VA he was the son of the late Pleasant Byrd Thomas and Esther (Hancock) Thomas. He was the loving husband of the late Gloria (Tarpley) Thomas.

Bill was a programmer and account analyst for the Internal Revenue Service from 1952 until his retirement in 1980. Before starting his career, Bill was a Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy for six years serving in the Pacific during WWII. He loved a challenging round of golf, dancing with his wife, playing bridge with his friends, walking along the Shenandoah River and enjoying a good Martini.  He loved a good laugh watching Seinfeld and rooting for the Redskins.

He will be lovingly missed by his daughters and sons-in-laws: Gail and Fred Burgess, of Lancaster, Susan and Steve Chesley, of Bettendorf, Iowa, and Patty and Dave Szurek, of Arlington, VA; his grandchildren, Katelyn Burgess, Michael Burgess, Blaine Chesley, and John Chesley. He was preceded in death by three brothers and four sisters.

Memorial services will be scheduled for Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made in Bill’s memory to SPCA of Northern Virginia at  www.spcanova.org , where he found Bonnie. Arrangements by the Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home, Lititz.