Dorothy Jean Mann Thomas, 82, died Friday, March 9, 2018, at home surrounded by her family.
Mrs. Thomas was born October 27, 1935, to the late John Mann and Ruth Cole Mann in Lee County, Mississippi. She is survived by her children: James Earl Thomas of Atlanta, Georgia, and his two children, Brian and Laura Thomas; John Thomas of Starkville, Mississippi, and his two children, Mark (Laura) Thomas and Catherine (Patrick) Bruno; Jeanne Carol Shivers (David) of Atlanta, Georgia, and their two children, Taylor (Stephanie) and Ellen (Charles) Hagins; and Mary Ruth Henderson (Charles) and their two children of Atlanta, Georgia. Dot Thomas was also doting great-grandmother to Libby, Ella, Jackson, Annabelle and Avalene. She is also survived by six sisters, Laura Harris of Saltillo, Carolyn Wiley of Amory, Sarah Timms of Tupelo, Shirley Williams of Verona, Linda Broom of Pascagoula, Judy Newell of Charlotte, North Carolina. She was preceded in death by her husband, Earl Thomas; one sister, Emily Hurley of Tupelo, and two brothers, Billy Mann of Tupelo and Jimmy Mann of Tupelo.

Mrs. Thomas was chairman of the finance committee and was on many additional committees of her beloved First Baptist Church of Starkville, Mississippi. She taught Sunday School for many years, helped on the counting committee and she also helped with Vacation Bible School up until just a few years ago. She gave her life to serving Jesus Christ and making sure His work was carried on at First Baptist and within the community she loved so much. If you did not know Jesus then she sure pointed you in the right direction and she also spent many hours studying the Bible and down on her knees in prayer.

She was co-owner, along with her husband of 62 years, Earl Thomas, of Thomas’ Ladies’ Apparel in downtown Starkville for 25 years. She was “requested” by quite a number of ladies in Starkville to dress them for many occasions. There were times when they would not see anyone else but “Dot Thomas”! If she was not available, they would come back when she was available.

Being a business owner in Starkville, Mrs. Thomas was president of the Starkville Downtown Business Association and was an active member of the Starkville Chamber of Commerce. She did work to promote her beloved downtown Starkville.

The family would like to express their appreciation to Dr. Everett McKibben for his compassionate care. They would also like to thank Valerie at Sanctuary Hospice and Lisa Cooperwood, her sitter, for their loving care. The children would like to recognize two saints, Mrs. Thomas’ sisters, Linda Broom and Judy Newell for their loving and unconditional care of their mother.

Visitation will be Sunday, March 11, from 1:30-3:30 p.m. and Monday from 9:00-11:00 a.m. at First Baptist Church sanctuary of Starkville and the funeral will be at 11:00 on Monday.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to be made to the Children’s Building Fund at First Baptist Church, Starkville; St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital; or to First Baptist Church of Sandy Springs, Georgia.