Obituary of THOMAS R. COULTER

Mr. Thomas Renwick Coulter died Saturday afternoon, November 18, 2006 at St. Clare's Hospital in Denville. He was 85. Born and raised in Bridgeport, CT., he had been a resident of New York, NY, before moving to the Lake Hiawatha section of Parsippany in 1961. He had moved to Victoria Mews in Boonton Township last year. Mr. Coulter was decended from a long line of veterans. His relations can be traced back to 1639 in Maine under the name of Dunbar. His great-grandfathers served in the French-Indian & Revolutionary wars, a grandfather served in the Civil War, and his father had served during World War I. Mr. Coulter served as a combat medic with the 120th Infantry, 30th Division of the U.S. Army during World War II. He was stationed in France, England, Germany and Belgium. He was wounded in action during the first day of the Battle of the Bulge and was subsequently awarded a Purple Heart and two Bronze Stars. In his later years, he was interviewed by the United States Library of Congress regarding his experiences on the front lines as a combat medic in World War II. Following the war, Mr. Coulter re-enlisted with the National Guard 283rd Division in Bridgeport, CT. He later transferred to the 356th Division in New York,NY. In 1959, he was commissioned to Warrant Officer with the 78th Division of the New Jersey Army Reserves. He worked as head nutritionist and ran the food service units for Fort Dix and Fort Monmouth. He retired as Cheif Warrant Officer III in 1981 following many years of service. Mr. Coulter attended the University of Bridgeport, Butler's Business College, and graduated from the New York Institute of Dietetics in 1958. Concurrent to his service at the military bases, he worked as a nutritionist with Mountainside Hospital in Glen Ridge from 1958-1963, and Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison from 1963-1969. In 1969 he became the first assistant administrator of Heath Village Retirement Community in Hacketstown. Mr. Coulter and his wife Marion were among the founding members of St. Gregory's Episcopal Church in Parsippany where he served as a warden, a member of the vestry and lay minister. He was also appointed a warden at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in West Orange. He had served as a delegate several times to the Newark Episcopal Diocesan Convention and was named head lay minister of the Diocese by Bishop Rath. Mr. Coulter attended the Newark Diocesan School of Religion in preparation to become a Deacon before the program was discontinued. He was appointed an Eclastical Minister by Bishop Spong in 1990. In 1996, he was awarded the Rector's Cross for 50 years of church service and was appointed as Warden Emeritus. An avid historian, Mr. Coulter was a member of the Parsippany Historical Society, a volunteer lecturer with the Morris Museam, and was a researcher, lecturer and board member at Fosterfields Farm Museam for the past 20 years. He was also a life member and former president of the Reserve Officer's Association of New Jersey. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Marion Elizabeth (nee Woodruff), a son James Thomas and his wife Jennieanne of Garfield; and two grandchildren, James Thomas Jr. and Julia Ellen Coulter.