Peter Thomas | |
---|---|
Born |
Peter Addenbrooke Thomas June 28, 1924 Pensacola, Florida, U.S. |
Died | April 30, 2016 (aged 91) Naples, Florida, U.S. |
Residence | Naples, Florida |
Occupation | Narrator |
Known for | Documentary and advertisement voice-over work |
Spouse(s) | Stella Barrineau (m. 1946; her death 2014) |
Children | 3 |
Parent(s) | John Thomas Sibyl Addenbrooke |
Peter Addenbrooke Thomas (June 28, 1924 – April 30, 2016) was an American announcer and narrator of television programs, including shows such as Nova and Forensic Files.
Thomas was born in Pensacola, Florida, to John D. Thomas and Sibyl Addenbrooke. He had two younger brothers, John and David. His Welsh father, a Presbyterian minister, and his English mother, a schoolteacher from Salisbury, stressed the importance of reading, education, and memorization to their son. Thomas says that his father always stressed mental images as an important speaking tool. For example, he told his son if he were talking about horses he had to picture horses in his mind.
Thomas began his career at fourteen as an announcer on a local radio show. Since the station could not pay him, due to his age, they arranged for the sponsor, Piper Aircraft, to give him flying lessons in a Piper Cub. Within just a few years, Thomas would be hosting Big Band remotes.
With the onset of World War II, Thomas left The Stony Brook School and volunteered for the United States Army in 1943, after being offered an Armed Forces Radio deferment, and served with the First Infantry Division in five major campaigns, including the Battle of Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. He was issued a Battle star for each of the five campaigns. He was also awarded the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, the Unit French Croix de guerre, and Belgian Fourragère.