In Memory
Reported by Buzz Hayworth
Shirley Marie Thomas
Sep. 7, 1942 - Aug. 11, 2015
SOUTH BEND - Shirley Marie Thomas was born September 7, 1942, in Hope, Arkansas, to William Franklin Whitmore and Annie Mae (Mary) Nelson.
She graduated from Central High School, class of 1960. After high school she served in the Army Reserve as a nurse. She attended Ivy Tech where she received her Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration. She was employed by Bendix as a secretary until her retirement. She was wed to Richard C. Thomas and they had two children, Tammie Marie Thomas and Melvin Duane Thomas.
On Tuesday, August 11, 2015, at 10:22 pm., the Lord called Shirley to her final resting place after a brief illness. Shirley was a notary public and volunteered in the community through Women In Touch; she worked for SBCSC as a substitute teacher, and was a lifetime member of the NAACP. Shirley was a generous, wise and loving individual who would do anything to help someone in need. She enjoyed traveling and spending time with her family and was a delightful woman who would bring joy and laughter to whoever she was around. She will be dearly missed and it gives the family great joy to know that heaven has received a remarkable soul.
Shirley was preceded in death by her mother, Annie Mae (Mary) Nelson, and father, William Franklin Whitmore; three brothers, George Edward Spears, Ben A. Spears and William Charles Whitmore; two sisters, Lorraine Smith and Annie Mae Whitmore; and ex-husband and longtime friend, Richard C. Thomas. To cherish her memory she leaves behind two children, Tammie Marie Thomas and Melvin Duane Thomas, both of South Bend, IN; 5 grandchildren, Dajour Thomas, Decarlo Thomas, Monesha Smith-Thomas, Asia Adams-Thomas, and Xzaiver Thomas, all of South Bend, IN. Her dearest and longtime friends, Bobbie Reams and Maxine Johnson; 9 great-grandchildren; and a host of relatives and friends also survive her. "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." 2 Timothy 4 7-8
The funeral service for Mrs. Thomas is at 12 noon Monday, August 17, at Berean Seventh Day Adventist Church, 601 W. Colfax, with visitation one hour before the service at the church. Entombment will follow at St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park.
Friends are encouraged to sign guest register at www.cobbfuneralhomes.com.
01/01/2022 DEC
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