Beverly Thomas

Beverly Thomas entered the presence her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the morning hours December 17th. Her journey is just in time to celebrate Christmas in Heaven with the beloved family and friends who proceeded her.
Beverly is being welcomed in heaven by her devoted husband of 51 years Marvin D. Thomas; daughter Vickie Loraine; parents Norman Victor Goodrich and Rosa Eileen (Fenter) Goodrich, sister, Norma Kaye (Goodrich) Booth; infant brother Jackie Ray Goodrich; infant grand-daughter Rebecca Dawn Thomas; son-in-law Gene C. Lehman and numerous sisters- and brothers-in-laws, aunts, uncles, and cousins. It takes no great imagination to think of Beverly organizing a grand holiday family reunion like those she was famous for hosting in her home.
Beverly's surviving legacy are her children Terry Lynn Thomas (wife Rhonda) of Choctaw, OK; Pamela Rose Kimes (husband Jeffery) of Greenville, OH; Grandchildren Rachel Maurine (Thomas) Rockwell (husband Chris) of Meeker, OK; Danielle Lynn (Thomas) Gunn (husband Coleman) of Choctaw OK; Victoria Rose (Lehman) Cugini (husband Stephen) of Hayes, VA; Ashton Eugene Lehman of Greenville, OH; Great-Grandchildren Jolie Alycia Kayman Gunn; Annabelle Rose Bowers-Cugini; Rebecca Dawn Lynn Gunn; Aurora Rose Rockwell; Evelyn Marie Cugini; Joseph Michael Cugini and foreign exchange children Yuko Suzuki-Deguchi (husband Masahiro and son Masaki) of Japan, Allen Nielsen of Denmark, Susanne Malina and Patrik Malina of Sweden, Virginia Numiar-Vivanko of Chile.
On July 31, 1937, in Arcadia, Oklahoma, Beverly was born the first child of a small family into a heritage traced back to pre-American Revolution. Her known ancestors helped establish townships in Colonial New York, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. They moved westward as pioneers into Kansas and Colorado and eventually into Territorial Oklahoma. Young Beverly played on lands on which her Great-Grandfather staked claim during the 1889 Land Run. Beverly was proud of her heritage of that included ancestors and close relatives, including her son, who have served or are serving in every branch of the military and in every major conflict including and since the American Revolution. Beverly very intentionally instilled a sense of dignified patriotism in her children. That, along with God's tender guidance and service to family and friends were Beverly's guiding principals demonstrated through her living example. Beverly was a gracious, deeply faithful, patriotic and loyal woman who measured her success by the accomplishments of those whom she supported through deeds, wisdom or prayer.
She was a proud graduate of Central High School, class of 1955. She delighted in being a "Red Skirt" pep-club member and was an active participant with the Central High Alumni Association. She maintained active relationships with high school friends well into her golden years. Shortly before graduation, Beverly was introduced to the love of her life, Marvin Thomas. They were allowed to marry on the strict agreement that Beverly would finish high school. After high school, the Thomases moved to California. As life happens, the young couple separated for a few years but returned to each other and remarried in 1961. Over the next 51 years, Marvin and Beverly built a remarkable family legacy, never again leaving each other's' side.
Beverly devoted her working years to the insurance industry. She was the founding employee of the Strunk Insurance Agency, later Alexander and Strunk Insurance. Beverly would eventually touch the professional lives of all the OU School of Dentistry dental students for nearly 3 decades as she managed their student and professional insurance plans. She retired from Alexander and Strunk in 2003 after 32 years.
She was a longtime member of Village Baptist Church where she helped coordinate the Greeter's Ministry and assisted with offering counting. In her retirement years she participated in the "Crochet Group" at Stephenson Cancer Center, where she would meet weekly to crochet lap blankets for cancer patients. She was also the "crochet buddy" of a caretaker at her assisted living center, helping the next generation perfect skills when her own hands could no longer work a hook and yarn and her mind couldn't count stitches.
Terry and Pam request that you honor and celebrate their beloved Momma by gathering with family to share happy memories of Beverly for Christmas. Join hands in prayer, lift your voices with Christmas carols and play a round of Dirty Santa the way Aunt Beverly would love. There will be a memorial and celebration of life planned in early June in Oklahoma when travel will be easier for Beverly's coast to coast family and friends. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Beverly, please visit our floral store.