Carolyn Thomas

Wanda "Carolyn" Thomas, born to Louise and Alfred Hudson on April 21, 1935, in Waco, Texas, left this plane of existence on December 18, 2022, to join her husband of 70 years, Clinton Thomas, who passed just 38 days before. She passed peacefully at Melech Hospice House in Temple Terrace after a grueling surgery and aftermath. Carolyn is survived by her two children, Kelli (Dee Dee) and Andy (Alice), four grandchildren, Carla, Kelli, Bethany and Larry, and three great-grandchildren, Jude, Arry, and Kat. She is also survived by her "little brother," John Paul Hudson (Diana) and family, of Burnet, Texas. Her brothers-in-law, James and Kendall Thomas and their families (Texas) survive her as well.

Carolyn - our Mom - is hard to eulogize simply because she was such a force of nature, an all-encompassing presence, and the center of our Universe as children. Before child-rearing, she tutored Clinton through his junior and senior years at Austin High School and she is likely the only reason he graduated. They married at 17 years of age, had two children by age 25 and promptly moved halfway across the country, to Florida, where they happily lived the rest of their lives. But, of course, they remained die hard Texas Longhorn fans.

Life skills experts list understanding your calling, purpose and mission as an important skill. Mom knew who she was at an early age: she was a wife, mother, and homemaker, and she had the will to perfect the sacred family home. She turned down a full ride to the University of Texas to marry our father and raise and nurture us.

Other important life skills: housekeeping/learning how to clean. Check. Times infinity. Cooking. Check. Budgeting. Check. She paid bills so fast she would confuse the payee! Balancing bank account. Goodness, we've watched her spend hours finding the "lost 9 cents." How to use coupons. Check. Later, she killed the BOGOS. We have taught our friends and family many of her techniques. Suffice it to say we were two of the few college kids prepared to hit campus and thrive.

Mom was a force of nature who manifested like Dale Carnegie, Norman Vincent Peale, Martha Stewart and Groupon all in one. She could have made a mint doing life skills podcasts.

When Clinton lost his job with McCormick & Co. and became an entrepreneur, we kids were out of the house, and Mom became a full time business partner. Between the two of them, they prospered and transformed businesses in a positive way. She utilized many of her homemaking skills in the business world.

Occasionally, we felt like Mom regretted not going to college. Hard to say, because she never said so, but what a CPA, CEO, lawyer, senator, or professor she could have been. She insisted we become professionals and we did with her and Dad's support every step of the way. Mom had an uncanny, intuitive ability to know when we were distressed, worried about a class, going through a breakup, or simply broke. When the phone rang, you knew it was her. Sometimes, she mailed a check a couple days before and called to get you to admit you needed it, counsel you about how to avoid that mistake in the future, and inform you it would arrive soon. Like a Guardian Angel.

Carolyn loved the Bible, attending church, board games (she was a cutthroat Mexican dominoes mastermind and rarely lost), reading the newspaper and many books, cooking most of the food and preparing the table when Clinton grilled in the backyard for family and friends, counseling people through their own challenges and setbacks, dancing, listening to country music, and walking for miles and miles, making friends, saying prayers, listening to uplifting podcasts, dissolving her stress. She walked until she couldn't walk any longer.

Carolyn cared for Clinton due to his health conditions for over 15 years. She encouraged him to battle to the end and he did the same for her. They remained active in their church - Creekside Church of Christ, formerly known as Bell Shoals Church of Christ - of which they were founding members over 50 years ago. As they supported and loved their church, their church unconditionally supported and loved them. The entire family is forever grateful. We are grateful for Melech Hospice House, too. Her stay was short, but peaceful, after having enduring multiple hospitals and rehabs.

When we left Mom, even just to go to the store, we almost always said "I love you" to her. Her immediate response was "I love you more" or, most often, "I love you the most!" For years, we tried to reason with her that our love for her was infinite, too, but she resisted that notion every time. Well, after all this time Kelli and Andy have a message for you Mom (we know you are watching and listening): "Yeah, you loved us the MOST. And we gotta keep that love flowing to our loved ones. We promise we will.

A visitation for Carolyn will be held Friday, January 6, 2023 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Hillsboro Memorial Funeral Home, 2323 West Brandon Blvd., Brandon, Florida 33511. A funeral service will occur Friday, January 6, 2023 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM, 2323 West Brandon Blvd., Brandon, Florida 33511. A graveside service will occur Friday, January 6, 2023 from 3:00 PM to 3:30 PM at Hillsboro Memorial Gardens, 2323 West Brandon Blvd., Brandon, Florida 33511.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.HillsboroMemorial.com for the Thomas family.