Thomas DeWitt Read, 92, of Solomons, died March 7, 2008 at Solomons Nursing Center. He was born March 17, 1916 in Newark, New Jersey to the late James Paulding Read and Julia DeWitt Read. He was the devoted husband of the late Irene Demarest Read, whom he married on October 18, 1941 after a 10-day courtship. She preceded him in death after 54 years of marriage, on March 7, 1996.

He attended Nichols Junior College and Bowdoin College, class of 1938. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1941 to 1945. Gregarious and garrulous, he was a salesman in the food & beverage and real estate businesses most of his working life. He was a renowned "antiquarian extraordinaire," having a keen interest in and appreciation for all things old, especially music, books and periodicals. At one time he had a collection of very old popular sheet music, player piano rolls, newspapers and 78 records, numbering in the hundreds of thousands. His memory for dates was legendary.

Memorial services and interment will be in the Old Clove Church and Cemetery, Sussex, New Jersey.

He is survived by his children, Nancy McCabe of Solomons, Karen Edwards of Danbury, Connecticut, and Peter Read of Christiansburg, Virginia; 5 grandchildren; and a brother, John A. Read of Brandon, Vermont. His very best friend was his son-in-law of 40 years, Frank McCabe.

Memorial contributions may be made to Calvert Hospice, P.O. Box 838, Prince Frederick, MD 20678.

Local arrangements by Rausch Funeral Home, P.A., Lusby, MD.