Bette Rae Thomas

Miss Bette Rae Thomas, age 82 of 3511 Tuckaseegee Road died Monday, October 24, 2011 at Brighton Gardens Assisted Living Center in Charlotte, N. C. She was born February 11, 1929, daughter of the late William Raymond and Juanita Blanche Horton Thomas. Miss Thomas was a life member of Enderly Park Baptist Church and Faithful Workers Sunday School Class, where she had served at one time as co-ordinator of the church nursery. She attended the Charlotte public schools and was a graduate of the Florniece Private School. She completed a Medical Secretarial Course at Kings Business College, graduated from Wingate Junior College and was the honor graduate of the class of 1950 from Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing, having received the General Excellency Award in Theory and Practice and the Moore-Petteway Award for further study in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She did her post graduate work at the University of Chicago Clinic’s Lying-in-Hospital. After completion of her studies she was appointed the Supervisor of Surgery. This position she held for nine years. While in Chicago she studied at the Patricia Stevens School of Modeling and upon her return to Charlotte, she taught the Medical Secretarial course at Carolina Business College and was Director of a local Modeling School. She has been active in private duty nursing here since 1961. In honor of Miss Thomas the recreational center on Tuckaseegee Road was named “The Bette Rae Thomas Recreation Center”. She was preceded in death by a brother, William E. Thomas (Margie) and sisters, Mrs. Esther Polites (Lee) and Mrs. Jean Kidwell (Don). She is also survived by the following nieces and nephews, William E. Thomas, Jr. (Mary Ellen) of Savannah, Ga., Robert R. Thomas of Kinston, N. C., Matina Polites Austin (Dick) of Seminole, FL., Franklin L. Polites, of Drexel, PA., Pamela Kidwell Ventura (Ralph) of Studio City, CA. and Peter D. Kidwell of Paradise, CA., the following great-nephews, Kevin W. Thomas (Chris) of Raleigh, N. C., Timothy E. Thomas (Kathy) of Alpharetta, GA., and William Todd Thomas, (Denise) of Oklahoma City, OK, the following great-nephews and niece, Evan Gardner Thomas and Maggie Olivia Thomas both of Alpharetta, GA.. Active Pallbearers will be Deacons of the church. Funeral services will be held a Saturday October 29, 2011 at 1:00PM at University Hills Baptist Church, Reverend Doctor Coye Still, III officiating. Interment will be in Forest Lawn West Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6:30-8:00PM Friday evening, October 28th at Forest Lawn West Funeral Home, 4601 Freedom Drive. Miss Thomas will be taken to the church thirty minutes prior to the service. Friends may send memorials to their favorite charity or University Hills Baptist Church, Ray and Juanita Thomas Beautification Fund, 1500 Suther Rd., Charlotte, N. C., 282l3.