Obituary of Sally Swift Thomas

SOUTH COLTON—Funeral services for 87 year old Sally Swift Thomas, 4025 St. Highway 56, South Colton, will be held Wednesday at 10 a.m. at the Zion Episcopal Church with Deacon Patricia Lavine presiding. Burial will be held following the service in Pleasant Mound Cemetery, Colton. Family and friends may call at the Buck Funeral Home in Colton on Tuesday from 2-4 and 7-9 p.m. Mrs. Thomas passed away early Sunday morning at the Maplewood Campus in Canton. Sally is survived by her three children, Rodney and Cheryl Thomas, South Colton; Catherine and Walter Cook, Potsdam; Peter and Charlotte Thomas, Colton; her seven grandchildren, Nick, Thomas and Stephanie Trussell, Eric and Jessie Thomas, Amanda and Patrick Davis, Adam and Rachel Cook, Gavin and Shelly Thomas, Dan and Jenn Cook, Maggie Cook; her six great-grandchildren, Marcus, Rory, Meghan, Avery, Riah, Kellan; two brothers, George and Jo Swift and Neil Swift; a sister, Marion and Glen Thomas; a sister-in-law, Vivian Swift and several nieces and nephews. She was pre-deceased by her husband and a brother, John Swift. Born in South Colton on May 30, 1927 to the late John N. and Hilda O’Neil Swift, she graduated from Colton High School and continued her education at Eastman School of Dentistry in Rochester. Following her graduation, she worked as a dental hygienist for Dr. Hart in Potsdam and also at the Colton-Pierrepont and Parishville-Hopkinton Schools, as well as helping her family run the General Store and working on the family farm in South Colton. She married William H. Thomas on December 16, 1951. He passed away on January 3, 2007. Sally worked for United Helpers as well in the Business Office for 23 years. She was also the owner of “The Stall Gift and Antique Shop”. Sally was an active member of the Zion Episcopal Church where she has been a member of the church vestry, warden, organized the United Thank Offering and operated the Zion Food Pantry as well. She was the co-chairman of An American Revolution Bicentennial Project that took place in Colton in 1976. Sally wrote many articles for Colton: Story of a Town, and also served on the Hepburn Library Board of Trustees. In 1998 she was named Senior of the Year by the St. Lawrence County Senior Citizens’ Council. Sally has been active on the Town Beautification Committee and continued to take care of Sunday Rock Park in South Colton, as her husband Bill did. She was instrumental in getting Sunday Rock placed on the NYS and United States Registers of Historic Places. Sally was always working on the continued development of Swift Field in South Colton, a field donated by her mother. The smile in Sally’s eyes for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren reflected her steadfast love and devotion. Her wonderful humor and joy of life, left an everlasting mark on all those fortunate enough to have her in their lives. She always found time to spend with her family amongst her busy life. Memorial donations in her memory can be made to the Zion Episcopal Church or to the South Colton Rescue Squad or Fire Department. Memories and condolences may be shared online at www.buckfuneralhome.com . The Buck Funeral Home in Colton is serving the family of Sally Swift Thomas.