Beverly E. Thomas

Beverly Ellen Thomas, 71, of Greeley went home peacefully to be with the Lord while surrounded by family and friends on January 21, 2018 at NCMC. She was born July 17, 1946 in Hemet, CA to Ted and Naomi Daniels. She graduated salutatorian from San Jacinto High School in 1964 and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Pasadena College, CA in 1968. The year prior to her graduation she spent an enlightening summer as an exchange student in Hiroshima, Japan. Bev married Gary Rodney Thomas on October 19, 1968 in Pasadena and they spent two-and-a-half cherished years in East Anglia, Suffolk, England where Gary was stationed with the USAF. During their time in the U.K. Bev was an elementary teacher at the base school. Following Gary’s discharge from the military they settled in Greeley in 1973. A life-long organizer and disseminator of information, Bev worked as a secretary for the Colorado Department of Water Resources, served as office manager and coordinator of volunteers for Greeley Youth for Christ, and served for 17 years as executive secretary for the Weld County Council. She also worked for 20 years as editor of a newsletter for friends who minister to international students. Bev prioritized relationships with her family. She was a devoted wife and mother and a quintessential grandmother. Her grandchildren brought her much joy and she delighted in designing and participating in creative activities with them. She traveled extensively with her husband, Gary, and showed an avid interest in those she met along life’s path. Their travels took them to the far corners of the world including England, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, France, Austria, The West Indies, Argentina, Cambodia, Hong Kong, and Australia. Bev loved to experience different cultures by mingling and conversing with the local populace. Bev also delighted in dressing up and indulging her taste buds with family and friends at English High Teas. Venues included simple Suffolk tea shops, her granddaughters’ preschool, and Hong Kong’s legendary Peninsula Hotel. Bev derived great joy from some of life’s simplest acts. Flowers were her passion and she delighted in gathering blossoms from her garden and creating floral arrangements which she in turn shared with family and friends. She also loved to send greeting cards with hand-written notes of encouragement that often included news clippings relevant to people’s needs and interests. And many have been the recipients of her hand-sewn fabric gift bags thematically tailored to each individual’s tastes. Bev was a Christ-follower whose abiding faith in the Lord allowed her to face life with joy and hope. She delighted in communicating God’s love to others. She has "run the good race” and is now more alive than ever basking in the presence of her Heavenly Father. We shall all miss her inquisitive spirit, her penetrating questions, her acts of loving kindness, her compassion for those who were hurting, and her beautiful smile that could light up a room. She certainly "sparked joy” in the world in which she moved. Bev is survived by her husband, Gary; two sons, Rodney (Stephanie) Zehren-Thomas of Lafayette, CO, and Matthew (Emma) Thomas of Orange, NSW, Australia; grandchildren Maya and Alana of CO, and Ezra and Annie of AU; and brothers Jack of Moreno Valley, CA; and Vern of El Cajon, CA. She was preceded in death by her parents and her older brother, Lee. A memorial service to celebrate Bev’s life will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, April 21, 2018 at Cornerstone Community Church, 1321 9th Avenue, Greeley, CO, 80631. Interment will be at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver. In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to "L’Abri Fellowship International” at https://swisslabri.org/donations/