About This Memory Space
This page was created for Marie Elizabeth Betty Thomas's family and friends as a place to remember them, to share stories, and to keep their memory close in everyday life.
It is cared for and added to over time by the people who knew them, and everyone is invited to contribute, whether that is a story, a photo, a few words, or a simple note.
Many families visit places like this not just once, but again and again, especially on quiet days or meaningful anniversaries. This page is here for those moments, wherever you are.
A place to return to when you want to feel close again, to remember a moment, or to leave a few words for others to read. Over time, it grows through the voices of everyone who knew and loved them.
Light a Candle Growing
Light a candle to honor Marie Elizabeth Betty Thomas's memory. Each lighting keeps their memory burning bright for 23 hours.
Candle lit burns 23 hours. Come back and light it again after 23 hours to keep the memory burning.
Limited to 5 lightings per hour to prevent abuse.
Memory Wall Growing
Stories, photos, and memories shared by people who knew Marie Elizabeth Betty Thomas. This is the heart of this space—a collection that grows as more people contribute.
No memories posted yet. Be the first to share a story or memory.
Life & Legacy
Marie Elizabeth 'Betty' Thomas crafted an extraordinary tapestry of adventure, family devotion, and spirited pursuits across decades and continents, forever etching her warmth and resilience into the lives she touched.
Born in Moorestown, New Jersey, as the eldest child of Paul and Marie McMullen, Betty embraced childhood with boundless enthusiasm alongside her sisters Barbara, Margaret, and Regina (Jean), and later her brother Paul. Her early education at Our Lady of Good Counsel, St. Casimers Catholic School, and Palmyra High School set the stage for a lifetime of connections, including meeting her soulmate, Joseph Thomas. Their union on July 4, 1952, launched a dynamic odyssey marked by relocations from Riverside and Delanco, New Jersey, to St. Louis, Missouri; Fairbanks and Clear, Alaska; Park Ridge, New Jersey; Boxford, Massachusetts; Glenview, Illinois; Glen Cove, New York; Hilton Head, South Carolina; Marlboro, Connecticut; Indianapolis, Indiana; and finally St. James Plantation in Southport, North Carolina. In each place, Betty thrived amid extremes—from Alaska's brutal winters and wildlife to New England's beaches and Chicago's bustle—organizing family life with masterful efficiency while diving into local scenes through scouting, sports support, bowling, and her enduring passion for golf.
Betty shone as a nursing assistant at Brandel Care Center in Northbrook, Illinois, where her compassionate care enriched the lives of assisted living residents. In Indianapolis, she embodied the gracious 'First Lady' of Allison Payment Systems alongside her husband Joe, blending professional poise with community engagement at the Country Club of Indianapolis, where she honed her golf prowess in women's leagues.
Photos of Marie's Life
Family & Loved Ones
Betty's world revolved around nurturing her sprawling family through every twist of their nomadic path, from wrangling sons as a one-woman support team in Missouri and Alaska to cheering at youth sports in Massachusetts and hosting joyful gatherings in retirement. Her marriage to Joe spanned 67 years, a partnership of mutual adventure, while she became the adored Mimi to grandchildren Meghann Cathleen, Liam Kyle, Michael Shane, Erin Elizabeth, and Kathlyn Elaine, and later a doting great-grandmother to Evelyn Kae, Emma Elizabeth, Byron Thomas, and Harrison Joseph. Treasured bonds with surviving siblings Barbara, Margaret, and Paul added layers of enduring affection to her days.
Remembered by Friends & Family
Tributes from across Betty's vast network capture a woman whose infectious energy and unwavering kindness left an indelible mark, with many recalling her as the ultimate family anchor and golf enthusiast who made every gathering unforgettable.
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