Joyce Marie Thomas

Joyce was born July 3, 1955 to the late A.J. Jones, Sr. and the late Mary A. Mitchell Jones in Memphis, TN. She was a 1973 graduate of Mitchell High School in Memphis, TN. After high school, she attended a local vocational school where she received certificates for Food Service and Cosmetology.

On March 6, 1982, she married Michael S. Thomas Sr. of Union City, Tn.

Mother Thomas or “Aunt Joyce”, as she was affectionately called by most people, accepted Christ at an early age. Her love and passion for God allowed her to take on many roles in her life and within her community. Mother Thomas truly had a love for people, service, and music.  Joyce was a beloved cafeteria worker at Union City High School for eight years after working in food service for Baptist Memorial Hospital where she met her husband. She served as the church musician, choir director, and Hospitality President at Clinton Macedonia COGIC in Kentucky,  under the leadership of the late Bishop M.J. Sykes and later Pastor Greg Brewer. In her later years, she returned to her home of Greater Bethel COGIC where she has been a church mother, faithful choir member, a purity class teacher, CWC member, and active member of the Hospitality board where she is famously known for her “smothered pork chops and butter roll”.

Joyce was a stay at home mom with 6 kids for many years, but went back to work after her youngest graduated high school. She was a valued employee of the Obion County Public Library where she never met a stranger. In addition to these roles, her greatest joy in life was being a mom to her children, a granny to her grandchildren, a sister or friend to some, and an aunt to many.

Her memories and life lessons are left to be cherished by her husband, Michael Thomas Sr., her children: Christopher Gentry and Damon Gentry of Memphis, TN; Michael Thomas Jr. of Corpus Christi, TX; TeAnna Thomas and Dawana Thomas of Union City, TN, and Amber Gentry of Sacramento, CA; 3 special daughters: Adia Thompson , Ashlee Foreman, and Dana Johnson; nine grandchildren: Jo’Dee, Ameerah, Seth, Cristian, Nasiir, Trinity, Alannah, Chase, and Michael Thomas III; Brothers: Dewayne (Larisa)Mitchell of Memphis, TN,  Michael E. Jones (Christy) of Las Vegas, NV, Glenn (Miki) Jones of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and Wendell (Consolacion) Jones of Palmdale, CA; Sisters: Carolyn Childs of Palmdale, CA, and Nikecia Jones of Memphis, Tn; 3 sisters-in –law; Peggy Jones of Memphis, TN, Vicky Roberson and Bonnie Thomas of Union City, TN, and 1 brother-in-law: Elbert Craig Thomas.  She will also be forever loved and missed by a host of special nieces, nephews, cousins, other family and many devoted friends.

She was preceded in death by sisters, Marilyn Gentry and Janet Jones, and brother A.J. Jones Jr.