Dr. Jimmie Elaine Thomas' Obituary
Dr. Jimmie Elaine Thomas, of Fayetteville, AR. passed away on October 24, 2023. Jimmie is remembered for being a source of wonder: for her incredible intelligence and wit, her boundless energy, and her love of learning. She was an abiding scholar of medieval literature and history, and her great depth of knowledge seemed to know no limits: Jimmie was a bibliophile, a wordsmith, an aficionado of poetry and music, traveling, languages, the arts, friends, family, and her little dog, Brodie.
Losing Jimmie is a terrible loss to all those who knew and loved her. Her love of life, literature, and learning will be greatly missed.
Jimmie was born on Dec. 10, 1949, in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, to James and Mary Thomason. She was the first in her family to go to college and earned the highest honors in both her BA and MA in English literature. Jimmie attended classes at Oxford University in England; inspired, she returned to earn her PhD in medieval literature. Together, Jimmie and her daughter, Melissa, whom she loved endlessly, had many adventures, including spending a year in China where Jimmie taught English. She later moved to New England to become a highly regarded English professor at Western New England College. She was admired by her students, and knowing she’d made a positive impact on their lives was the “best part of teaching” she’d say. It was there that she met and married her soulmate, Dr. Rex P. Stevens.
Jimmie returned to Fayetteville, AR. a decade ago. During this time, she taught yoga, traveled to Wales and England, studied Welsh, volunteered teaching English as a second language to refugees, and nourished old and built new friendships. Being the daughter of an Airman, Jimmie moved often as a child and regretted not being able to cultivate long-lasting friendships. In the Fayetteville area, for the first time in her life, she had a support system of many dear friends and commented often on how lucky she was to have them.
Jimmie will be forever missed and cherished by her daughter, Melissa Vandiver Thomas Luxton; she is also survived by step-sons Eric Stevens and wife Susan of Raleigh, NC, and David Stevens and wife Cara of Atlanta, GA., as well as seven grandchildren, including Dr. Jared J. Luxton and (the soon-to-be) Dr. India M. Luxton, who both followed in her footsteps and brought Jimmie a tremendous amount of pride and joy.
Jimmie was predeceased by her husband, Dr. Rex P. Stevens, and her parents, James and
Mary Thomason.
Her family would like to thank the Willard Walker Hospice Home for their gentle and loving care.
A memorial service at Moore’s Chapel Funeral Home will be held 4:00 pm on Saturday Nov. 18th, 2023.
Memorials may be made to the West Fork Public Library or the Peace at Home Family Shelter.
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