Terry Thomasson

Fred Terry Thomasson, 83, of Arden went home to live with God in Heaven on Saturday, May 12, 2018. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Elizabeth Thomasson; their children, Alicia Thomasson of Arden and James Thomasson of Norton, Massachusetts; James’ wife Christy and their four children Ethan, Margaret, Nathanael, and Gabriel, also of Norton, Massachusetts. Terry dearly loved his wife Elizabeth whom he met while they both were working for the Department of the Navy in Washington, D.C. They married on October 12, 1963 and moved to Arden in 1973 to raise their family. As a father, he supported Alicia and James in all their pursuits and bragged about them to anyone who would listen. He led his family to have faith in Jesus Christ and was a great family man and story teller. Terry was born in Port Jefferson, NY; graduated from East Islip High School, East Islip, NY and Tri-State University, Angola, Indiana with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering. He was a lifelong member of Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity. He achieved the rank of Lieutenant J.G. in the United States Navy and was honorably discharged. During his career he worked for the Department of the Navy and a number of aerospace companies where he helped develop cutting edge technology in parachutes, fighter jet ejection seats, cockpit design and pilot safety systems. He was a long time member of the SAFE (Survival and Flight Equipment) Association and served as its president. He retired from the Department of the Navy in 1997. His Funeral Mass will be at Saint Barnabas Roman Catholic Church, 109 Crescent Hill Dr., Arden at 1:00 p.m. this Friday, May 18, 2018. The graveside service will follow immediately at Calvary Episcopal Churchyard, 2840 Hendersonville Rd., in Fletcher. Friends are invited to join the family at 2:45 p.m. for a short reception at Saint Barnabas afterwards. Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian is assisting the family.