John R. (Jack) Thim, Jr., 81, of Branford, husband of Nancy Eckle Thim, died on June 8.  He was born in New Haven, son of the Honorable John R. Thim and Mary Flom Thim.  Jack was a 1949 graduate of the Westminster School in Simsbury and a 1953 graduate of Dartmouth College. He had owned the Acton Metal Processing Corporation in Waltham, Massachusetts. In 1993, he received the Life Membership Award from the National Association of Metal Finishers for his distinguished involvement and years of dedication and service to the association.  He was also a 1980 recipient of their Silvio Taormina Award. Jack had served as president of the association from 1977 to 1978 and had also served as president of the Master Metal Finisher’s Association of New England. In addition, he was a trustee of the Metal Finisher’s Foundation, a member of the Associated Industries of Massachusetts, and a member of the American Society of Metals. Internationally, he had served as chairman of the National Association of Metal Finishers’ study mission to Scandinavia and had travelled throughout Japan and Europe as a spokesman for the Master Metal Finishers of New England.

His employees and associates agreed that the contributions he had made to the surface finishing industry were astonishing. Upon his retirement from Acton Metal Processing, he continued to be an active lifetime member of the National Association Metal Finishers.

Besides his wife, he is survived by his grandson, Colby Thim, and two brothers, the Honorable George N. Thim of Trumbull and Paul Thim of Atlanta, Georgia. He was predeceased by his son, Peter Brian Thim; his daughter, Polly Karen Thim; and a sister, Mary Vernalee Sternberg.

A mass of Christian burial was held at St. Mary’s Church, Branford, on June 13.  Burial was in St. Agnes Cemetery, Branford. Gifts in his memory may be made to the Connecticut Hospice, 100 Double Beach Rd., Branford, CT 06405. The Hawley Lincoln Memorial, Guilford, was in charge of arrangements.