Claudia "Mimi" Devale McLemore Thomas, 94, was surrounded by family when she peacefully passed away on December 13,2021, at her home in Sorrento, Louisiana.
Claudia was born in Crystal Springs, Mississippi on July 22, 1927 to Claude Anding and Isla Elizabeth (McLendon) McLemore.
Claudia attended Crystal Springs Consolidated School where she was a cheerleader and member of the journalism club. Upon graduation, in 1945, she moved to Mobile, Alabama, where she met her future husband Charles Douglas "Doug" Thomas. They married in Gulf Port, Mississippi and settled in Mobile where they were blessed with three beautiful daughters. They relocated to Orlando, Florida when Brookley Field closed in 1966. When Doug retired they returned to Mobile in 1973 where they lived for many years until settling in Sorrento in 2009. Claudia retired from civil service, having worked for both the U.S. Air Force and Army Corp of Engineers in a variety of capacities.
She loved to travel and took extended vacations in Mexico and Europe with Doug. She enjoyed visiting friends and extended family in both the U.S. and U.K. Her other pastimes were reading a good mystery novel, watching Father Brown, working her puzzles and enjoying outings to the "boats" with her family and friends "for the buffet and shows". As matriarch of the family she kept busy keeping up with their lives and offering her sage advice whenever she felt it was needed. She did admit it was "Hard running the world from Sorrento, but I'll try". She can rest easy knowing she gave it her best effort.
Left to cherish her memory are her daughters: Donna Thomas Hanner of Indian Trail, North Carolina and her children Robert "Bo" Kissinger (Caren Bistany) of Charlotte, North Carolina and Karen Muma (Jay) also of Indian Trail; Terry Ann Thomas of Sterling, Colorado; and Charlotte Louise Melancon (Tim) of Sorrento, and her daughter Lynn Sabin-Perry of King's Lynn, England, and Tim's children Christopher Melancon (Jeri) of Gonzales, Louisiana, Shaun Melancon (Laura) of Gueydan, Louisiana and Courtney Melancon White (Josh) of St. Amant, Louisiana. As well as Claudia's sister-in-law Marion Thomas and favorite niece Kimberly Thomas Jefferson (Steve), all of Mobile. Claudia was blessed with numerous great-grandchildren as well as a grand niece and nephews, with whom she thoroughly enjoyed sharing her pearls of wisdom.
Claudia is preceded in death by her husband Charles Thomas, parents Claude and Isla McLemore, sister Elizabeth Delorme, brother-in-law Richard "Don" Thomas and grandson Douglas Perry.
July 22, 1927 ~ December 13, 2021 (age 94)
Services will be at Mobile Memorial Gardens Funeral Home on Saturday, December 18, 2021 with visitation from 11:00am until service time at 12:00pm. Interment will follow in Mobile Memorial Gardens Cemetery.
