Margaret Alison Thoms Leaves Island to Trust by Beth Dock Maggie Thoms passed away on April 21, 2001, at CT Hospice in Branford, after a short illness. She was a resident of Stony Creek, a committed member of various community organizations and a long-time member and friend of the Branford Land Trust. We are indeed honored to announce that Maggie had bequeathed her island in the Thimble Islands, Northford Rock, to the Trust. Tim Snider, a friend of Maggie's, writes: "Picture a lobsterman circling this island of granite day after day, collecting his catch and baiting traps. Ray Gay, former WW2 P-51 ace, took up his father's profession when he retired from SNET. He came to know and love the peace of the place and its shelter in the usual west wind. Nearly twenty years ago, in a moment of felicitous passion, Ray purchased the island called Northford Rock, and gave it to his long time lady friend, Maggie Thoms, saying he had always meant to get her a "rock." Maggie and Ray hosted several summer parties there, and when he died, she placed a plaque in his memory on the sunset side. Maggie was a doyen of regional art activities, a Yale graduate in art, and a nationally known painter of dog portraits in oil. At the Creative Arts Workshop, she crafted the whimsical steel work you can see atop the island. Do you see sails, a whale's tail, fish or whatever? Her recent death shocked us, but she had spoken for some time about wanting her "rock" to go to the Land Trust so that other people could use the place, know its peace, and perpetuate the memories it contains." The Trust received the deed to Northford Rock in mid-November and is grateful to Maggie that we now can add this special place to the properties we own, which also include other islands, the Commander Rocks in the Thimbles and the Umbrella Islands and Green Island in the Short Beach area. Northford Rock is the easternmost of the Thimble Islands, near Bear and Smith Islands. Three of Maggie's friends, Tim Snider, John Waters and Chris Woerner, have agreed to act as our stewards of the island.   The Thoms property is highlighted in red. Other nearby Branford Land Trust properties (in dark blue) include Childers (Marine Island, Bernays Reef and the Commander Rocks) in the Thimbles and Ransome, Hentschel, Stony Creek Limited Partnership, Washburn and Reed east of Stony Creek village. Yale University's Peabody Museum Natural Area and the US Fish & Wildlife Service's Outer Island are in green. (Click on map for larger view.)