Beverley Thomas

April 8, 1926 – April 17, 2024

Beverley Ann Burkhardt Thomas, who grew up in Auburn and was a long-time resident, passed away April 17 of complications of Covid-19, after a long struggle with heart disease. Beverley graduated with honors from Auburn's School of Architecture, and worked in an architect's office in New York City for several years. In 1948 she married Albert Lee Thomas, Jr., of Auburn, and the two moved to Birmingham, where Albert worked at Southern Research Institute. She worked as an architect for a couple of years, then designed a home for the family in a rustic-modern, Frank Lloyd Wright-influenced style, which the two of them built. They raised five children there.

In Birmingham, she was tireless in arranging enriching opportunities for her children, including after-school music lessons, sports practice, art classes, and Scouting. She led Girl Scout troops from Brownies to Cadettes. She took the family on educational trips to Expo 67 in Montreal, via Washington, D.C., New York City, and the Maine coast, and to Washington state to visit relatives, stopping at the major National Parks en route, and camping in a large tent. She pursued artistic interests including water-color painting, acrylics, and sumi-e, and became quite proficient at ceramics, later guiding her grandchildrens' hands at the potters wheel.

She is survived by sons Albert Walter Thomas, living along with his wife Sara Anderson in Notasulga, and Dr. Charles Edwin Thomas, of Auburn, and daughters Alison Thomas, of Auburn and New York, Beth Thomas Wesley, of Montgomery, and Ann Thomas, DVM, of Dallas. Grandchildren and Great-grandchildren are numerous. Albert's daughters, Felicia Thomas Williamson and Gilia Thomas, both live in Dallas, where Felicia and her husband Jimmy Williamson have two daughters, Elise and Emily. Daughters of Charles and his wife Marilyn Davis Thomas are Dr. Eleanor Thomas, living in Atlanta with her husband Andreas Hadji and their sons Alexander and George, and Mary Feminear Thomas, living in Ft. Worth with her husband Michael Adams. Beth's sons are Joshua Wesley, of Auburn, Benjamin Wesley, of Cantonment, FL, along with his wife Jamneth and son Lucas, and John David Wesley, who with his wife Riva Denny lives in Thurmont, Maryland. Ann's children Chase Simpson and Breanna Simpson both live in Texas, Chase with his wife Virginia.

Beverley Thomas will be remembered by her friends and acquaintances in Auburn for her unfailing good nature and her incredible energy in gardening, feeding the birds and other wildlife, and working to preserve Auburn's architectural heritage. She also maintained correspondence with relatives of her parents in Washington state and in Germany. She has been busy for several years producing albums of family photographs across the years for her children.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 27, 2024, at Founders Chapel, Auburn United Methodist Church. Friends are asked in lieu of flowers to contribute to the American Heart Association or the charity of their choice.