Edna LaVerne Thomas

Edna LaVerne Bandy Thomas, 95, went to be with her Lord on December 10, 2017. The daughter of the late Isaac Lee Bandy and Edna Mae Phelps Bandy, she is survived by her sister and brother-in-law, Sharon and Lee Roy Tidwell, and her sisters-in-law, Idell Bandy and Mignon Bandy. Also surviving her are her children, Sandy Welch and husband Jim, Hank (Neil) Thomas, Cindy Denney and husband Randy, and Teri Tingdale; six grandchildren and their spouses; 11 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was also preceded in death by her sister, Charlsa Newman, her brothers, James Bandy and Bob Bandy, her former husband, Neil Thomas, her daughter-in-law, Diane Thomas, son-in-law, Tom Tingdale, and two granddaughters.

LaVerne Thomas was born in Godley, Texas on December 5th, 1922 and grew up in Godley and Granbury. After high school, she worked at the Naval Air Station in Corpus Christi, then proudly enlisted as a WAVE during World War II.

A passionate believer in higher education, she earned three degrees, culminating in her Ph.D. She was an internationally recognized expert in cotton finishes, and taught fashion merchandising and textiles at several noted universities. She was proud of the educational and professional accomplishments of the students she mentored, as well as those of her children and grandchildren.

A lifelong Christian, she made sure her children had a firm faith foundation. Upon retirement, she devoted herself to service to others sponsored by the churches she attended, and to assisting with the needs of her children and grandchildren. She was an enthusiastic fan of the Texas Rangers baseball team, marking every game on her TV schedule and passionately tracking their ups and downs. She also loved the beauty and behavior of birds, and made sure that the feeders in her yard stayed filled. She provided a place for celebrations and visits for her family all their lives. She was loved and will be dearly missed.