Leela M Thomas

Leela (Omana) M. Thomas, 59, of Coppell TX, beloved mother and wife, passed away in Nashville, Tennessee on Saturday, June 9, 2018 in God’s timing. She passed away peacefully in her sleep after being diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or ALS, in 2016. Her family had the blessing of coming to terms with her illness and is comforted in knowing that she is no longer suffering but rather walking alongside her Heavenly father.

Leela was born in Kanam, Kerala on May 31, 1959 as the youngest of seven siblings to the late MK and Rachel Skaria of the Mammoottil House. After completing the 12th grade, she left home for the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, Punjab. She graduated with her degree in nursing, worked in Chandigarh for a year, and then relocated to Dammam, Saudi Arabia where she spent over a decade tending to the ill. Her career was rich and diverse, including a Masters degree in Public Health, clinical expertise in Neonatal Intensive Care and Infection Control, and a role as Director of Genuine Home Health Services. Those who knew her well knew that she possessed a special intellect and unwavering resolve. Leela was a woman who would not back down from whatever challenges life brought her way.

Leela was married in March of 1984 to Mathews Thomas of Itarsi, India. In 1991, they immigrated to the United States and made their home in Dallas, TX. On December 5th of the same year, they welcomed their oldest son, Jeremy, into the world. Their younger son, Joshua, was born five years later, to the exact date. She gained a beloved daughter when Jeremy married Sadia in 2017. Leela’s sense of family brought her great joy, blossoming from her immediate family and including relatives and friends in Texas, the United States, and across the entire world. She truly cherished people and maintained a large circle of loved ones with whom she was regularly in contact. Leela had extraordinary knowledge and ability to converse about anything – history, culture, medicine, law, politics, business, and more. She spoke with conviction and fervor, and used her gift of voice to speak out against oppression and minister to those who were in need. Hers was a life of incredible generosity and service. Through all of life’s struggles, Leela upheld a steadfast faith in her Lord, whom she loved dearly. She was a testimony of his goodness and an active member in her church community. She also found great pleasure in traveling, nature, and flowers.

Leela is survived by her husband, Mathews Thomas, her eldest son Jeremy and his wife Sadia, and younger son Joshua; her brother MK Kurian; her brother MK George; her sister Mercy Skariah; and her sister Valsa Mathew. She also had a very special relationship with the family dog, Snickers. She is preceded in death by her sister MK Kunjamma and brother MK Kuruvilla.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” - 2 Timothy 4:7