Tuesday, May 23, 2017

James Bernard Thomas, or Jay Bernard, the Actor



James Bernard Thomas was a motion picture and television actor whose professional acting name was Jay Bernard.  He was born on August 27, 1923 in the ancestral home built in 1847 by his great grandfather, James Thomas, Jr., located on the Donaldson Creek Road in Trigg County, Kentucky.  He was the son of James Carroll “Pat” and Elizabeth Bessie Satterfield Thomas and the grandson of Carroll and Frances Wills Vinson Thomas.
 
He grew up in Akron, Ohio and served as a private in the U. S. Army in World War II.  He then moved to southern California where he began to pursue an acting career.  When he joined the Screen Actor’s Guild, he chose the name Jay Bernard as his professional name.  During his years in Hollywood, he had roles in 70 films and numerous television shows.  In his later years, bad health caught up with him and he had to limit his acing assignment.  He died on October 28, 2006 in Phoenix, Arizona.  His body was cremated and his ashes were scattered over the Arizona desert near Phoenix.  He was survived by three sons, Terry, Seth and Sean.
 
Jay’s theatrical film career included roles in such films as Footloose, The Philadelphia Experiment, Halloween 5 and Kleptomania.  His TV movies included The Executioner’s Song in 1982, The Adventures of Nellie Bly in 1981 and his final performance in Anya’s Bell in 1999.  His TV series appearances included Walker, Texas Ranger and The Young Riders.
 
A highway historic marker honoring James Thomas, Jr. was erected adjacent to the site of his homestead on Donaldson Creek in Trigg County, Kentucky. The marker includes the wording “Great grandson, movie actor, Jay Bernard (James B. Thomas) born here Aug. 17, 1923.”
 
 
THE LINEAGE:

(James Bernard "Jay Bernard" Thomas was the son of James Carroll "Pat" and Bessie Elizabeth Satterfield Thomas and the grandson of Carroll and Frances Wills Vinson Thomas.  Carroll was the second child of James, Jr. and Margaret Ethridge Thomas.  James, Jr. was the sixth child of James and Mary Standley Thomas.)

No comments:

Post a Comment