Elvira Lizyette Thomas

On December 21, 1954, Elvira Lizyette Thomas was a beautiful bouncing baby girl born to Frederick and Modjesca Garr in Dallas, Texas. The name Gerre (pronounced ‘Ger-Rae’) was originally intended to be her name, but when family and friends started to pronounce the name as ‘Jerry,’ the nickname “Jerry’ still stuck with her cousins and friends.

She was an only child, but grew up surrounded by over 11 aunts and uncles, and a bevy of cousins. Her fondest memories were of her and her cousins and friends playing and hanging out at her grandparents (Marvin and Elvira “Boony” Hughes’) ranch. She loved to talk about the beautiful scenery, trees, ponds, ducks and chickens that grazed her childhood home. She graduated from Wilmer Hutchins High School (Class of ‘73,) where she played the flute and was a majorette in the marching band. It was during this time that she discovered her love for fashion. She was also a model for Tiches (Sears) and soon started to design and make her own clothes. She would later go on to model and put together fashion shows for Montgomery Ward. She attended East Texas State University, where she majored in Fashion Merchandising. She soon pledged Alpha Kappa Alpha and moved into the sorority house where she bonded with a group of her sorors, some whom she remained friends throughout her life.

In 1977, she gave birth to her first child Christina (Lafayette Randle.) After college, she started her career in fashion working retail at Montgomery Ward. After a couple years, she gained employment at Red Bird Mall where she became Manager at Rings N Things and later Woman’s World. Her hard work and constant pursuit of excellence pushed her career to the North Dallas area, where she became a Top Sales Manager at The Limited Express. After the corporate office begged her to accept a District Manager position, she declined in order to have time for her young daughter. She then moved on to White Hall Jewelers, where she was also a top sales manager. In 1980, she met a handsome young man named Kenneth Thomas (Ken) and the two started to date. In1987,she gave birth to her second child Ana Maria and her and Ken soon married. Soon came their third child Christopher in 1990.

After over 20 years of excelling in retail, Lizyette decided to change careers in order to spend more time with her family. She got her Texas Teachers Certification and began teaching Reading at Roosevelt High School. It would be an understatement to say she was a big hit with the students. She built relationships with kids from many different backgrounds and issues. From honor roll regulars and college bound seniors to drug dealing males and young teen moms. Lizyette believed in all her students and spent many hours supporting them in their obscure and humble journeys. Eventually she set her goals even higher and decided she wanted to become a counselor. The next year, she started at Kimball High School and began advising seniors on their college and career choices.

Lizyette was always a high achiever and was blessed to put many of her dreams into motion. While working retail, she started her first entrepreneurial venture Balloon Fantasies, where she created beautiful and elaborate decor for celebratory events. Then later on, she re-vamped her creative gift, took some classes and almost overnight became a professional wedding cake baker and caterer. With clients all over the DFW, she soon became a thriving entrepreneur with a booked schedule and numerous portfolios of beautiful and utterly delicious pastry creations. In 2012, she opened Hearts N Roses Bakery and Event Center in Southwest Center Mall. She also starred and produced her own interior design and craft series which aired on DCTV.

Lizyette loved to entertain and spoil her family and friends with delicious dinner parties and extravagant deserts. Her favorite holidays were Christmas and Thanksgiving, as she would always decorate the house from top to bottom. She was famous for her New Years Eve brunch, as friends from out of state would even try to get a seat at her living room table or kitchen.

Lizyette is survived by her loving and devoted husband Kenneth, her three children Christina, Ana Maria (Rapheal,) and Christopher (LaQuiea,) four grandchildren Maniyah Lizyette (12,) Kingston (4,) Maciyah (3,) and Zaciyah (2.) She is also survived by six sisters and one brother: Frederina Tidwell-Simms, Gay Dorsey, Rena “Renee” Parks, Israel Leon Garr, Margarita Walker and Lauren Garr. And a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins whom will always cherish her memory.

Visitation/Wake will be 4-7 p.m. Sunday, November 8, 2020 and a Celebration of Life will be 2 p.m. Monday, November 9, 2020 at 2 p.m. Both services will be in the Laurel Land Funeral Home Chapel with interment following in Laurel Land Memorial Park.

Services will be live streamed on Laurel Land Funeral Home's Facebook page promptly at 2 p.m.