Terry V. Thomas

1953 - 2024

Terry V. (Thompson) Thomas
WASHINGTON, DC - Terry Venita Thompson Thomas transitioned on Memorial Day, May 27, 2024 in Washington, DC. She was born Terry Venita Thompson to Evelyn Louise Shannon Thompson and the late Casper Garnett Thompson on November 8, 1953, in Elizabeth City, NC, where she was baptized into the Christian faith at Olive Branch Missionary Baptist Church.
Terry attended the Pasquotank County Public Schools, graduating with honors from Elizabeth City's newly-integrated Northeastern High School in 1971. She then attended East Carolina University, where, in 1973, she led the effort to bring a chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. to the campus, becoming a charter member and the first president of the Kappa Sigma chapter. She earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree in 1975.
In 1976, Terry moved to Washington, DC, to study Voice Performance at Howard University, where she earned a Master of Music degree in 1977. Already an accomplished musician and a classically trained soprano when she arrived at Howard, she performed at venues in the United States, such as the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall, as well as in opera houses in Italy and France, during and after graduate school. Through a mutual music connection, Terry met her husband, Bradley, in 1976, one month after starting at Howard. The couple married eight years later and remained inseparable until her passing.
After Howard, Terry taught music at the Northern Virginia Community College in Loudoun County, Virginia, before accepting a position as a Performing Arts Copyright Examiner for the U.S. Library of Congress in 1978. She resigned eight years later to raise her children, Bryan and Krysten, and then returned to work, first for her husband's law office and later for the office of Prince George's County Council Member Isaac Gourdine, her husband's former law partner. For many years, Terry was a featured soprano soloist with the Chancel Choir at People's Congregational United Church of Christ in Washington, DC (https://peopleschurchucc.org/ ), under the direction of the late Clyde T. Parker, and continued to perform at recitals and operatic showcases in and outside of the Washington, DC area.
In 2001, Terry pivoted and started teaching visual arts for DC Public Schools, where she enriched the lives of countless children. To accompany that career move, she earned a Master of Art Education degree from the Corcoran School of Arts and Design at George Washington University in 2012. During her 19-year career with the DC Public Schools, she also served on numerous boards and committees, including the DC Public School Chancellor's Advisory Cabinet and the DC Arts and Humanities Collaborative Board. She also earned many awards, such as the DC Art Educator of the Year in 2003, the Rubenstein Award for Highly Effective Teaching on several occasions and the Mayor's Art Award for Excellence in Arts Teaching in 2015.
Terry was a faithful member of People's Congregational United Church of Christ for more than 35 years, where she served for several years as Co-Chair of the Board of Christian Education. She was a Balcony and Music Aid Circles member, a Sunday School teacher, and the Assistant Children's Choir Director. Terry was also a financial member of the Washington, DC, Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc., where she served on the Scholarship Committee. As evidence of her resolve and devotion to the Chapter, she had Delta scholarship applications in the hospital with her, even as she passed. Additionally, Terry was a member of the National Association of Bench and Bar Spouses, Inc., Jack and Jill of America, Inc., the Heritage Signature Chorale, and her beloved cancer support group, 2Unstoppable, where she met her Awesome 8 Sisters.
Terry leaves to mourn her passing, the great love of her life, her husband, Bradley A. Thomas; her treasured son, Bryan A. Thomas; her cherished daughter, Krysten S. Thomas; her beloved mother, E. Louise Thompson; her brothers, Wayne E. Thompson (Shirley) and J. Kenneth Thompson; her brother-in-law, W. Michael Berryman; and sister-in-law, C. Jaqueline Sammons (Morris); and a host of nephews, nieces, cousins, sorors, professional colleagues, community leaders, former students, and, of course, her many dear, devoted, and amazing friends who are too numerous to name.
There was a Celebration of Life held in her memory on Saturday, July 6, 2024 at People's Congregational United Church of Christ in Washington, DC. There will also be a Celebration of Life held in her memory here in Elizabeth City on Saturday, July 27, 2024 at the Olive Branch Missionary Baptist Church on 510 Brooks Avenue with visitation at 11:00 AM and the Memorial Service at 12 Noon.