Vada was born to John Lee Tillery and Ollie Ellen (Scott) Tillery on July 29,1933, in Malvern, Arkansas. She attended school in Social Hill, until moving to Greens Bayou (Galena Park, Houston, Texas) where she completed the 9th grade. At the age of 16, she began working in the banking industry, downtown Houston, Texas in the Gulf Tower. She married Edgar R. Thompson on February 14, 1959 (62 years) and they spent most of their years in Refugio, Texas (25) raising 2 children, Melissa Goodwin and Brad Thompson. She was a homemaker for 6 years, until the children were well into school and returned to work at the 1st National Bank of Refugio in 1974. She took a medical retirement in 1987 due to Rheumatoid Arthritis, which she battled until her last day. In 1993, they moved to Mission Valley to enjoy the peacefulness of farm-life for 13 years. They made their final move in 2006 to Baytown, Texas to be able to spend time with the family and grandchildren.
Her hobbies were reading lots of good books curled up in her chair, feeding cubes to their small cattle herd, raising her chickens and enjoying her grandkids and great grandkids. She was also a great cook.
She is survived by a daughter, Melissa Goodwin (Perry), her son, Brad Thompson (Kristie), her brother, Norton Reese Tillery (Kate), grandchildren, Leah Spivey (Reid), Kody Thompson (Haley), Casey Thompson and great grands Dawson Spivey, Sawyer Spivey and Konley Thompson. She is also survived by her sisters-in-law Inge Tillery and Berlin Tillery and many nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, siblings Juanita Ollie Whitley (Echols), John Lee Tillery, Jr., Elton Carl Tillery, Letha Mae Lehman (Thomas), and Joe Rex Tillery and sister-in-law Shirley Tillery.
Pallbearers: Brad Thompson, Kody Thompson, Casey Thompson, Reid Spivey, Dawson Spivey, Sawyer Spivey
The family will receive guests Thursday, September 21, 2023 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Earthman Baytown Funeral Home, 3919 Garth Road, Baytown, Texas 77521. A celebration of life service is scheduled for the same day starting at 12:00 PM with a graveside service following at 2:00 PM at Memorial Oaks Funeral Home, 13001 Katy Freeway, Houston, Texas 77079.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.earthmanbaytown.com for the Thompson family.
