Willa Jean Thomas

Celebration of Life services will be at 11:00 a.m. Friday, January 30, 2015 at St Paul United Methodist Church with Reverends Perry Hunsaker and Steve Stephens officiating. Arrangements are by Griggs Schooler Gordon Funeral Directors.

Private family burial will be in Llano Cemetery

Willa, a resident of Amarillo since 1952, was born in Belleville, AR, to AC and Myrtle Buckman Sadler on August 13, 1924. She was the fourth of five children. The family moved to Carlsbad, NM, where she graduated from high school in 1942. On August 8, 1946, she married Roy W. Thomas after he returned from the service in the US Navy. Willa was a stay at home mom and active volunteer with Girls Scouts, Boy Scouts and St. Paul United Methodist Church where she was active with the United Methodist Women, played in the church handbell choir and was a founding member of the Covenant Sunday School Class.

Willa was preceded in death by her husband, Roy, after 48 years of marriage.

Willa is survived by her children, Cheryl Lackey and husband Don of Burnet, Craig “Bear” Thomas of Amarillo and Ronetta Mills and husband Willie of Amarillo; grandchildren include Christina Mills and Steven Thomas; great-grandsons Taylor Thomas and Gabriel Thomas; step-grandchildren Steve Lackey and wife Cathy of Decatur, Donna Huerta of Dallas and Lynn Turner and husband John of Liberty Hill; eleven step great-grandchildren and one step great great-grandson.

Visitation will be Thursday from 5-7pm at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the United Methodist Women of St. Paul United Methodist Church, 4317 W. Interstate 40, Amarillo, Texas, 79106, (806) 352-5615