Elizabeth Carol Thomas' Obituary
Elizabeth Carol Thomas, 92, of Fayetteville, died Sunday, April 3, 2011, at Washington Regional Medical Center, after a brief illness. Born December 26, 1918, to William Francis and Lucy Allen Thomas, she was the descendant of pioneer families of Sevier County and Howard County, Arkansas.
Ms. Thomas was educated at the University of Arkansas, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in English and history, with a minor in music. She pursued graduate degrees at the University of Michigan, where she earned Master’s degrees in Music Literature, Music Performance—Organ, and Education. She completed her education at the University of Illinois, where she earned a Ph.D. in Education. She was an assistant professor of education at the University of Iowa and at the University of Virginia, prior to returning to the University of Arkansas in 1971, where she served as Professor of
Gifted and Talented Education until she was granted emeritus status in 1989.
Throughout her life, Ms. Thomas continued to pursue her interest in playing the organ and periodically gave recitals. In addition, she played the organ for several Fayetteville churches. She also traveled extensively throughout her life, making a point to visit museums and art galleries world wide. Ms. Thomas was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, William Francis Thomas, Jr., and her nephew William Francis Thomas, III. She is survived by her sister, Feriba Thomas McNair, and the following nieces and nephews: Thomas Wiley McNair, David Malcolm McNair, Lucy McNair Jones, and Natalie Thomas, all of Fayetteville, and Mark Allen Thomas of Breckenridge, Texas. Ms. Thomas maintained active memberships in the Daughters of the American Colonists, the Colonial Daughters of the Seventeenth Century, and in Chapter K of the PEO Sisterhood. She was an alumna of the Arkansas Alpha Chapter of Pi Beta Phi sorority. A private graveside service will be held in DeQueen, Arkansas, on Monday, April 11, at 2:00 p.m.
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