Melba Thomas Vest

On May 6, 2015, in Austin, Texas, Melba Thomas Vest passed peacefully into the arms of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She was 89 years old. Born in Roanoke, Virginia, she had been a resident of Del Rio, Texas, since 1966. She was preceded in death by her husband, Frederick V. Vest, of Del Rio, Texas; and her parents, Irven K. Thomas and Beulah N. Thomas, and her sister, Ovilla Thomas Pugh, of Roanoke, Virginia.

She is survived by her daughter Kathryn “Kitty” Bowman and grandson Jon Thomas “Tommy” Bowman of Austin, Texas; her sister, Vilma T. Stanley, of Salem, Virginia; and her brother J. M. “Duke” Thomas, of Roanoke, Virginia. Additionally, there are many nieces and nephews. She had a career in Federal Government service for 23 years, including assignments with the Veteran’s Administration and Department of Defense. As the wife of a National Park Service Park Ranger, Melba and their daughter Kitty got to live in national parks from Blue Ridge Parkway and Shenandoah National Park in Virginia to Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi to Amistad National Recreation Area in Del Rio, Texas, where she and her husband both retired. Her most rewarding career was that of grandmother. Her grandson Tommy was her greatest joy.

A memorial service will be held in the fall in Roanoke, Virginia. Interment will be in Evergreen Cemetery, Roanoke, Virginia.