Surrounded by his loving family, Thurston E. “Sol” Solomon entered into eternal peace on Monday, 1 April, 2013. A lifelong resident of Worcester, “Sol” lived the great majority of his life on the same street. He was well-known as the neighborhood project guy and “fix-it” expert and was never without a list of things to do around his home or yard, which he loved. He enjoyed the simple things in life, especially his garage and screen house, whose doors were always open to neighbors and friends over the years, especially Eddie, Mac, Cyril and his nephew Fredrik.
He was the son of Swedish immigrants Hilmer E. and Christine M. Solomon and remained proud of his heritage. He was able to visit family in Lindesberg, Sweden on numerous occasions and was affectionately nicknamed “mångubben” by several of them. It was common to hear accordion music wafting from his garage as he tinkered away. He was a life member of the Scandinavian Athletic Club (SAC). In addition, his years spent in Germany while serving in the US Air Force (1950-1954) affected him deeply, and he developed a love of German culture as well. He and his wife of almost 48 years, Shirley, were lucky enough to have revisited his old Air Force base in Erding, Germany during a reunion trip with the 85th Aircraft Repair Squadron in the fall of 2001.
He was a master woodworker and graduated from Worcester Boys Trade in 1947. He was a long-time pattern maker for Norton Company in the Machine Tool Division until its sale in the early 1970s. He continued his employment in the same plant under subsequent companies, among them, Warner and Swasey. While at Norton’s, he was blessed to have met fellow employee—Shirley Morter—his rock, and they were married in September 1965; their union bore three sons Eric J., and his partner Thomas Fox; Kurt S., and his wife Karen (Rodwill); and Karl F. In later years he found great joy in his two grandchildren, Niklas Thurston and Brandon Wayne Solomon, who became his number one customers for skateboard repairs and ramp projects. He also loved chauffeuring them around on his John Deere tractor.
In addition to his wife and sons, Thurston is survived by his brother Harold, of Raleigh, North Carolina; and siblings Bradford, Marjorie, and Sandra, all of Worcester. Another brother, Philip, predeceased him.
Visiting hours will be held at the Nordgren Memorial Chapel, 300 Lincoln Street, Worcester on Thursday, 4 April beginning at 10:00, with a funeral service at 11:30. Burial will follow in Worcester County Memorial Park, Paxton. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to Veterans Inc., 69 Grove St, Worcester MA 01605. The family would like to thank the staff at the Life Care Center of Auburn and the Pulmonary Critical Care Unit at St. Vincent Hospital.
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We will all miss his humor and smile. He was the best husband, father, friend, and advisor one could have; the kind of man happiest passing the time with family and friends under the shade of his beloved apple tree. Now he joins close friends Donald, Buddy, and Karl. “They are not dead who live in lives they leave behind. In those whom they have blessed they live a life again.” Sov i ro Pappa.