Maxine Lorraine Thomas

Maxine Thomas of Portland entered this world in June of 1935 and died on Thursday, March 29th. 2018. She was the next to the youngest of six children of the Anderson family in the small town of River Sioux Iowa. After high school in Little Sioux, she attended El Camino Junior College in CA and then graduated from the University of Iowa in 1957. She taught school in Medford, Oregon and then later in Portland where she married and raised her three children. In 1966 she began teaching and supervising student teachers at Portland State University, from which she retired in the early nineties. She also received a doctorate in 1980 from the University of Oregon. She received numerous accolades and awards throughout her career.

Maxine had a busy and exciting life in addition to her teaching, to which she was dedicated. She traded houses and careers with a family in Australia for a year in 1984. She enjoyed a sabbatical in Kaifeng, China in 1986, traveling through Hong Kong, the Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore on her return. In 1995 she joined the Peace Corps where she served in Namibia for two years. She joined again in 2001 and served in Thailand for a year.

In addition to extended overseas travel, Maxine crisscrossed the United States widely and often, visiting her large family and many friends. She ran on a Hood-to-Coast team for years, pedaled the Seattle-to-Portland Bicycle Ride, hiked the Camino in Spain, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, and hiked the Inca Trail into Machu Picchu. She enjoyed writing, was actively engaged with other retirees from P.S.U. and participated in book groups and weekly outings with hiking friends and more. And she always had time for her family and friends .

Maxine’s son Scott Thomas preceded her in death in 2017. She is survived by her brother Paul of Omaha, Nebraska, her son Victor Thomas of Portland , daughter Lori Hecker and son-in-law Scott Rigby of Dallas Texas, and grandchildren Allison Hallas ( husband Billy) , Kat Barclay (husband Chris), Melissa Rigby, Becca Rigby, and Makayla Hecker and two great grandchildren. Maxine is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews, great nieces and great nephews, and an abundance of friends all of whom miss her terribly but will enjoy sharing stories about Maxine Thomas for many years to come.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the OHSU Parkinson's Foundation.