Iris Newton Thomas of Cary, North Carolina, died on June 4, 2020. She was born January 28, 1927 in Durham, North Carolina to Marshall and Myrtle Newton. She moved to Raleigh, North Carolina at an early age and was educated in the Raleigh public schools and at Peace College. She has been a resident of Cary, North Carolina since 1974 when her husband, David, retired from the United States Air Force.
Iris was a devoted wife and mother, faithfully fulfilling her chosen role as an Air Force wife for almost twenty-five years. She was often forced to assume the responsibilities of both mother and father while her husband served in remote parts of the world. Her success in guiding her children to be good citizens and contributing members of society is reflected in their daily lives and in the leadership roles they have assumed in the communities in which they have resided and in the churches they have attended. Iris was a member of Greenwood Forest Baptist Church in Cary and the Joy Sunday School class.
She is survived by her husband of 73 years, David W. Thomas; daughter, Marsha Thomas Percival and her husband, Thomas H. Percival, of Lumberton, NC; son, Kenneth D. Thomas and his wife, Josie, of Cary; son, John S. Thomas and his wife, Diane, of Cary; grandchildren; Karen Orthner, Lesley Clayton, Rebecca Miller, John Percival, David Percival, David Thomas, Gregory Thomas and ten great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be conducted at Greenwood Forest Baptist Church, 110 SE Maynard Road, Cary, NC, at a later date. A private memorial service and interment will occur at Arlington National Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Greenwood Forest Baptist Church Memorial Fund, 110 SE Maynard Road, Cary, NC 27511, Baptist Children’s Homes of NC, PO Box 338, Thomasville, NC 27361, or Transitions LifeCare, 250 Hospice Circle, Raleigh, NC 27607.
