Dorothy G. Thomas

Born on March 8, 1928, in Indiana, Pennsylvania, she was the daughter of Wilbur and Carrie Roberts Gemmell.

Beginning with piano lessons as a little girl in Indiana, Pa., Dorothy spent her lifetime dedicated to her pursuit of music and music education. She received both her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Music Education – paying for her tuition by teaching piano lessons.

She met her future husband Bob when she was selling tickets for an IUP football game. They were married in 1955 and enjoyed 60 years of marriage together until Bob’s passing in 2015.

Dorothy began her elementary music teaching career in the Aspinwall, Pa. school system. Although she continued to teach piano, she put her professional music career on hold to raise their two sons Scott and Bob, and then returned to teaching in the mid-seventies. For nearly 20 years, Dorothy served first as a substitute teacher, and then as a full-time teacher of elementary music within the Okemos Public Schools system, where she touched the lives of countless young students.

In addition to her parents and her husband, Dorothy was predeceased by her sister Grace G. Scanlan and her brother, John W. Gemmell.

Dorothy is survived by her two sons, Scott Thomas, Bob Thomas, Bob’s wife Cari, and their two sons Colin (Elizabeth) and Connor.

There will be an open house on Monday, March 11, from 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM, at Coral Gables Restaurant, 2838 Grand River Avenue, East Lansing, MI.

Throughout her career in the Okemos Public Schools music program, Dorothy was an active member of the Okemos Music Patrons and spent several years boiling pasta and making sauce on her own kitchen stove for the group’s annual Spaghetti Dinner. In lieu of flowers, please consider contributing in Dorothy’s memory to the Okemos Music Patrons at okemosmusicpatrons.org.