Obituary: Arthur F.W. Thoms
Arthur “Tom” Thoms, 91, of Vero Beach, Fla., dies; memorial set for June in Kennebunk
Arthur F.W. Thoms, a Colorado‑born veteran whose life journey took him from the U.S. Army to a CIA career, from a small‑business partnership in Maine to a quiet retirement in Florida, died on Nov. 11, 2025, at his apartment in The Brennity of Vero Beach. He was 91.
Born Aug. 24, 1934, in Denver, Thoms grew up in a musical household with his sister, Joan. His mother, a soprano, gave him the nickname “Tommy” after a folk song she loved; the name stayed with him until he entered the Army and began using his given name, Arthur. He attended St. John Lutheran School and graduated from South High School in Denver in 1952.
After high school he enrolled at Valparaiso University. In 1956 he was drafted into the U.S. Army. A typing class he had taken in school landed him a clerk‑typist position; he spent a year at Fort Bliss, Texas, producing the base newspaper and another year in Germany working for a security agency. He was honorably discharged in 1958.
Following his service, Thoms pursued a master’s degree in English at the University of Denver, but his plans changed when the CIA invited him to Washington, D.C., for an interview. He accepted the position, moving east and, while there, met Enid Mary Marshall, a Maine native. The couple married on Dec. 3, 1962, in Arlington, Virginia. They would share 62 years of marriage until Enid’s death in September 2024.
Early in their married life the Thoms spent two years in Saigon. Returning to the United States, they settled in Maine, where they taught and operated Seacoast Electronics, a small business that served the Seacoast region for two decades. In the 1990s they relocated to Citrus County, Florida, for a decade of work in energy‑efficient home construction and as life‑insurance representatives for Lutheran Brotherhood. They retired around 2005, dividing their time between Kennebunk, Maine, and several Florida communities—Amelia Island, Ocala and Vero Beach. After Enid sold her family’s historic Summer Street home in Kennebunk in 2018, the couple became full‑time Florida residents.
Faith was a cornerstone of Thoms’s life. He often said his Christian belief, instilled by his parents, guided his decisions. He served on the church council of St. Timothy ELCA in Crystal River, Fla., and directed the chancel choir for several years, frequently singing alongside Enid, whose alto voice complemented his tenor‑bass range. The pair also performed with community choirs in Ocala. At his Vero Beach residence, he remained active in a bible‑study group, which friends said was a source of comfort and camaraderie.
Thoms was preceded in death by his wife, Enid. He is survived by his niece Carol Engebretson and her family in Merrill, Wis.; nephew Gary A. McBride and his family in Arvada, Colo.; several great nieces and nephews; godson John F. Corgan of Kittery, Maine; goddaughter Crystal A. Souder of Gilberts, S.C.; and close family friends Bill O’Donnell of New York and Mary C. Schlumberger of Crystal River, Fla.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at Bibber Memorial Chapel, 67 Summer Street, Kennebunk. Interment will follow at Evergreen Cemetery, where Thoms will be laid to rest beside his wife. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to St. Timothy ELCA or a charity of one’s choice. Condolence messages may be posted on the chapel’s website.
— Maine News Now Staff
