Charles Vernon "Chuckie" Thomas, 88, of New London, formerly of Minneapolis and Boston, passed away peacefully at his home, November 10th, surrounded by his beloved family. Born in New London, the eighth and youngest child of Lena Belle (Stiles) and Jay Cortland Thomas, he graduated from New London High School in 1943, before joining the Navy during WW II, where he earned the WW II Victory Ribbon and the American Area Ribbon. He was a proud 1949 graduate of Baldwin-Wallace College, where he worked in the Admissions office before accepting a position in development with the Minneapolis Institute of Art in 1962. In 1975 he moved to Boston, taking the helm at the Museum of Fine Arts, where he introduced the phenomenally successful Art in Bloom campaign, which continues to this day. Under his leadership Museum membership quadrupled. A retirement tribute to him in 1995 states that Chuck's "greatest contributions to Boston are the limitless enthusiasm, energy, ideas and warmth which excites everyone who comes in contact with him" A passionate philanthropist, he believed in giving back to your community, gifting New London with the Scout cabin, the baseball fields, the tennis, basketball and sand volleyball courts, the Thomas Pavilion and Recreation Park playground equipment and benches, as well as the Thomas Family Scholarships. In thanks for his support, he was awarded the New London Man of the Year Award in 2003, the Rotary Club Citizen of the Year Award in 2005, the New London Wildcat Humanitarian Award in 2008 and the Friend of Education Award in 2011. In 2008, the mayor of New London declared June 14th as "Chuckie Thomas Day". In Boston, he created the Charles Vernon Thomas Endowment Fund at the Museum of Fine Arts, and was an honored alum at Baldwin-Wallace, where he served as a Trustee and an Alumni Merit Award recipient. A world traveler, he was one of the first U.S. citizens to visit China when it was opened to outsiders in the 1970s. He was a lover of fine art, contract bridge and the Ohio State Buckeyes. He is survived by his sister-in-law, Shirley Thomas, many nieces and nephews and countless friends all over the world. He was preceded in death by his parents; his sisters, Tessie, Dorothy, Mary Belle and Joey; his brothers, Jay D., Bobby, and Barney, as well as his nieces, Beth Shibley Lenhart, Nancy Desman, Jan Thomas and Nancy Thomas, and his nephews, Tom Shibley, Rich Thomas and Eric Geiger. He moved back to New London from Boston in 2010, telling his friends and family it was "time to come home." He would very much like to thank his caregivers, Jill Thomas-Mitchell, Janet Thomas-White, Bill Thomas and Scott Crumrine. Friends may call from 1-4PM and 5-8PM on Monday, November 18th, and from 9-11am on Tuesday, November 19th at the New London United Methodist Church, with a memorial service following at 11am on Tuesday. Reverends Ben Black and Toby Thomas will officiate. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to any of Chuckie's favorite charities: the New London United Methodist Church, the New London Historical Society, the New London Library, the New London Scholarship Fund, the New London Boy and Girl Scouts, the New London Recreation Park, the New London Cemetery Fund, the New London High School Alumni Association or the New London Salvation Army.