Patsy Beryl Thomas

Beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend, Patsy Beryl Smith Thomas, of Cornelius, NC, passed away September 18, 2024. Born on June 2, 1928, she lived a happy 96 years.
Patsy was born in Searcy, Arkansas and spent her life in Arkansas, Texas, and Tennessee before landing in Asheville, NC in 1962. She spent 58 years in the Asheville area raising her children and grandchildren in a home full of laughter and love. She was honored to serve a number of years volunteering as a Guardian Ad Litem in the area. Throughout her life she was a voracious reader of all books and a lover of travel to new and exciting destinations. Most recently, her favorite destinations were the local "Cat Cafés" around the Charlotte area where she could get her hands on cats and kittens, all the while wondering if she could sneak any of them out of the café with her and into her home.
She is survived by her seven children and their respective partners in life; Grady Thomas and his wife Alma of Fort Mill, SC, Smitty Thomas and his wife Emily of Monroe, GA, Roberta Golden and her husband Neil of Asheville, NC, Donna Rutledge and her husband Randy of Mars Hill, NC, Julia Holyfield and her partner Tom of Cornelius, NC, Clay Thomas and his wife Allyssa of Etowah, NC, and Mark Thomas and his wife Stacy of Charlotte, NC.
She was blessed in life to have a robust, large family that included 9 grandchildren; Leslie Burrell, Stephanie Allison and her husband Nathan, Marcia Powell and her husband Casey, Adam Robertson and his wife Nicky, Dustin Robertson, Lindsey Rutledge and her Fiancé Kenneth, Carmen Brown and her husband Ryan, Rachel Holyfield, and Jeffrey Rutledge and his partner Kassondra.
Her legacy continued with her 5 great-grandchildren, all of whom she adored and cherished; Thomas Powell, Braeden Burrell, Aaron Allison and Connor Allison. She was heartbroken to be preceded in death by her first great-grandchild, Michael Powell of Monroe, GA.
Patsy was surrounded by a number of special friends in her life who have meant so much to her, including Jorgen and Tove Hansen, Dan and Debbie Miller, Ruth Zutaut and Loretta Colem. Patsy had a number of caregivers in her final months with Hospice who not only provided care and comfort, but Patsy considered friends, including Edye Hughes-Urdahl, Destiny Kennedy, Joyce Davis, Gabrielle Martin, Cindy Lee, and the entire team at the Levine & Dickson Hospice House in Huntersville, NC, who treated her like the celebrity we all knew she was.
Patsy was an avid animal lover, and leaves behind dozens of grand and great-grand pets. Special recognition to Jessie, Murphy, Billie and Boone, with whom she had a special bond in her final years.
Patsy was also preceded in death by her husband of 25 years, Charles Richard "Dick" Thomas, her two baby brothers, Tom Smith and Don Smith, and many non-human companions who gave her comfort and joy over the years, including her wonderful friends Rapunzel and Shakespeare. They may have been dogs and cats, but they were every bit members of the family and a significant part of her life.
A Visitation will be held Saturday, September 28th at 12PM followed by a memorial service at Harwood Home for Funerals in Black Mountain, NC. She will be buried alongside her husband Dick in Sky View Memorial Park in Asheville. A Celebration of Life will also be held in Cornelius, NC at a future date.
In lieu of flowers, Patsy requests donations in her honor to the Michael Steven Powell Legacy Fund (a part of the Community Foundation for Northeast Georgia – cfneg.com), to your local Humane Society, or to your local Hospice Care.