A meat-cutter, he began work at the market in 1970
By John Tredrea
In the beginning, it was dark when he came to work every day, and it was dark when he left work every day.
"There was a lot of overtime," Gary Thomson said. "That was good. I had a growing family to support and wanted the work. You went home tired, all right."
Saturday will be Mr. Thomson’s last day in the Pennington Quality Market (PQM) meat department, where he is a meat-cutter. His first day was in 1970. "It was a good trade," he said Friday. "I’ve been treated fairly here."
What’s up for Mr. Thomson after retirement? A lot more fishing, for one thing. Fresh water, salt water, from a boat, from the shore. "I’ll go anywhere there’s water," he said with the directness that seems one of his defining traits.
Gary Thomson, 62, and his wife, JoAnn, live on West Broad Street in Hopewell Borough. She’s been a secretary at Hopewell Elementary School for 25 years and plans to work there a few more years, said Mr. Thomson, who may return to PQM part-time after trying out full-time retirement for a while.
The Thomsons have two grown children, Tammy, 33, who has two children, and Joseph , 30.
Mr. Thomson met his wife at the place where he worked before PQM. "That was at the Stage Depot," he said. "I was a cook there for four and a half years. JoAnn came in one day looking for a job as a waitress. She got hired and we worked there together for a few years."
The Stage Depot was located where H.I. Rib restaurant is today in the Pennytown Shopping Village.
He knew PQM well while working at the Depot. "I came to the market to get the meat and produce for the Depot," he said. "I used to watch the butchers work. It was interesting. I could see it was a good trade. So I told Joe McVeigh: ‘I want to learn how to cut meat.’"
The McVeigh brothers owned the market before the Rothwell family purchased it many years ago. The McVeighs owned the market when it was located on Main Street in Pennington Borough. That was before it relocated to Route 31.
Things were much more labor-intensive in the beginning, Mr. Thomson said. "Cattle came here in quarters," he said. "You had to process that all down to the cuts people bought in the store. The whole lamb came in. Now, a lot of what we used to do in the store is done in warehouses before the meat gets here."
Coming through clearly after just a few minutes conversation with Mr. Thomson is a powerful work ethic and respect for work. "I started working when I was very young," he said matter-of-factly. "I stocked shelves after school at the old Eagle Bakery once located on Mercer Street in Hopewell Borough. I put in a lot of time there. There was a lot to do." He paused and shrugged calmly. "I feel work is a necessity of life. I wouldn’t feel complete if I didn’t work. It defines your character. My wife and I have tried to pass that attitude on down to our children, and I think we have."
PQM Manager Don Rellstab said, "Gary does have a great work ethic, the kind you don’t see as much as you used to, that’s for sure. When I think of him, I think of somebody who is always here. He never calls out sick."
"Gary’s a great example of dedication to his work and our business," added PQM owner Mike Rothwell. He noted that Mr. Thomson won the market’s Mary Rothwell Award in 2006. Named for Mr. Rothwell’s late mother, the award is given to one employee each year, for loyalty and dedication.
"That meant a lot to me," Mr. Thomson said of the award.
Ask him what he remembers most about his 37 years, and he’ll talk about co-workers.
"Frank Angelini and I were like brothers," he said. "Frank was the meat manager here. He died of cancer several years ago. We both started here when we were in our twenties. We had lunch together every day for a long, long time."
Mr. Thomson cleared his throat. "Then there was John Chambers, another guy I worked with here who died of cancer. He was 36 when he died.
Looking ahead to his retirement, Mr. Thomson concluded: "I think of the ones who didn’t make it, and I feel like I want to do a little living for them."

