Thelma May Vogt Rees

Thelma May Vogt Rees passed away peacefully at home on November 17, 2025, at the age of 92. She was born on May 14, 1933, to John P. Vogt, Sr. and Thelma B. Vogt. Thelma was the beloved wife of Otto A. Rees, with whom she shared 58 years of devoted marriage. She was the loving mother of Michael A. Rees and mother-in-law of Susan S. Rees. Thelma was the cherished grandmother of Michelle L. Rees, whom she adored. She was born in New Orleans, LA and resided in Kenner, LA.

Thelma was actively involved in garden clubs in the Greater New Orleans area for more than 30 years. She joined the Greater Pines Village Garden Club in 1985 and served 4 different terms as its president (1989, 2001, 2002, and 2003). She later joined the Lakeview Botany Guild and served as the club’s treasurer from 2013-2017. Thelma participated in numerous events and activities sponsored by her clubs and the Federated Council of New Orleans Garden Clubs. In 2002, she won first place in the “Small Design” category of the “Art in Bloom” competition sponsored by the New Orleans Museum of Art. Also in 2002, Thelma fashioned the decorations and floral arrangements for the 68th Annual Convention of the Louisiana Garden Club Federation. Thelma’s artistic abilities blossomed at home, where she crafted elaborate decorations for the Christmas door-decorating contest each year, earning a multitude of ribbons, and spent endless hours nurturing her beautiful garden, winning “Garden of the Month” a number of times. Thelma raised butterflies in her backyard garden and was awarded the Ann Gernhauser Butterfly Award in 1996. A devout Catholic, Thelma was honored to help with the floral arrangements when Pope John Paul II visited the St. Louis Cathedral in 1987. She was chosen as “Woman of the Year” by the Federated Council of New Orleans Garden Clubs for the 2007-2008 year. In 2017, Thelma was nominated for the “Circle of Roses” of the Louisiana Garden Club Federation in recognition of her many years of time and talents. In addition to gardening, Thelma enjoyed painting, sculpting, cooking, sewing, bowling, dancing, traveling, and attending Broadway shows. She also enjoyed getting together with friends to play Michigan Rummy and Po-Ke-No. Thelma dedicated countless time to charitable organizations, including the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the Women’s Guild of the New Orleans Opera, the Chefs’ Charity for Children, and the Friends of City Park.

Thelma was preceded in death by her parents, John P. Vogt, Sr. and Thelma B. Vogt; her brother John P. Vogt, Jr.; her father-in-law Otto J. Rees; her mother-in-law Catherine R. Rees; her sisters-in-law Gladys K. Vogt and Mary R. Cornibè; her brother-in-law Paul “Emmett” Cornibè; her nephew John P. Vogt, III; her niece Lorah C. Lewis; and many treasured cousins and friends.

Thelma is survived by her son Michael A. Rees; her daughter-in-law Susan S. Rees; her granddaughter Michelle L. Rees; her nephews Timothy D. Vogt and Robert E. Cornibè; her nieces Jamie C. LeBlanc and Paula C. Duplantis; and a host of grandnieces and grandnephews, great-grandnieces and great-grandnephews, cousins, and friends.

The family would like to give special thanks to Thelma’s caretakers, Connie, Karen, Yvette, Pam, and Myra, and the staff from Vital Care.

Funeral services will take place at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. Visitation will be held from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. Interment will follow at Lake Lawn Park Mausoleum.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to SpayMart, Inc., P.O. Box 6493, Metairie, LA 70009 in memory of Thelma, who loved cats.