Joseph Thomas joined the Indian Army in early 1964 at the age of 22 and saw action in the
Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. In early September 1965, he successfully captained his group of men deep into enemy territory during the height of the war. After a few years of service in the
Indian Army, he passed the
Indian Civil Services Examination in 1969 and joined the
Indian Police Service, being the only native from Kerala in that batch of officers. His first posting was as the
Assistant Superintendent of Police in
Palakkad district. He also served as Superintendent of Police,
Kozhikode, Commissioner of Police,
Trivandrum, Commissioner of Police,
Cochin, Inspector General of Police, Headquarters,
Thiruvananthapuram and Director General of Police, Vigilance
Thiruvananthapuram. At the time of retirement, he served as the Director of the Vigilance and Anti Corruption Bureau. He also served as the founding managing director at the Kerala Police Housing and Construction Corporation Ltd. Joseph Thomas is best remembered by the city of
Cochin for being the brain behind the conception, building and inauguration of the
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (Kochi) which was completed in 1996 ahead of schedule. This he accomplished while serving as the Chairman of the
Greater Cochin Development Authority and was also decorated by the President of India for this effort. Another project he is remembered for is the beautification of the
Marine Drive, Kochi into an iconic walkway and also his efforts to develop the Perandoor Canal along the lines of the
Grand Canal (Venice). Joseph Thomas also served as the patron of the Kerala State Athletics Association. He also served as a patron at
Vidyodaya School, Cochin, Kerala. Until his demise, he was involved in various projects in the city of Cochin and spoke at public events. He was also actively involved in humanitarian and charitable causes. == See also ==