Individual Details

FindAGrave revealed his wife: Memorial #120929645

Mary Lanell (Haynes) Thomas, a Wichita Falls native and beloved local educator,
died Thursday, February 13, 2014 at her home. She held the distinction of being
the second baby born in what is now the United Regional Hospital of Wichita
Falls on January 18, 1926 to Bobbie (Campbell) Haynes and Bonnie Louis Haynes. A
1943 graduate of Wichita Falls High School, she attended the University of Texas
at Austin and the University of Guadalajara in Mexico before earning degrees in
History and Spanish in 1947. During her early teaching career in San Antonio,
she began her work in the theater, directing student performances.
Returning to Wichita Falls, she served as a teacher of Spanish and History for
several decades. Her continued interest in theater led her to produce and author
many school productions and pageants throughout her career. She was married to
Harold H. Thomas, the director of advertising for the former McClurkins
Department Store in Wichita Falls, on August 13, 1960.
She loved history and enjoyed discussing contemporary politics and its echoes of
past civilizations. She was a great opera lover and connoisseur having attended
performances all over the world. She had traveled far and wide during her
lifetime and was always ready to embark on a new adventure. As an active and
vital member of the Wichita Falls Historical Society, she facilitated lectures
on Texas and Civil War topics, among many others. She held leadership positions
and was a member of numerous civic clubs and was a longtime member of All Saints
Episcopal Church. Her love of gardens accompanied an impressive knowledge of
horticulture resulted in her own prized garden, featuring numerous exotic and
rare plants, including an oleander that she received as a gift from Lady Bird
Johnson.
Mary was preceded in death by her parents; and her husband.
She is survived by her brother, B.L. Haynes of Aurora, Colorado; and two
nephews, Bill Haynes of Centennial, Colorado, and Bob Haynes currently in the
Philippines
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, February 21, 2014 at All
Saints Episcopal Church with Rev. John Munson, officiating. Interment will
follow at Crestview Memorial Park Mausoleum under the direction of Owens &
Brumley Funeral Home of Wichita Falls.
The family will receive friends from 6 until 7 p.m. Thursday, February 20, 2014
at Owens & Brumley Funeral Home of Wichita Falls.

Birth	18 Jan 1926	Wichita Falls, Wichita County, Texas
Marriage	13 Aug 1960	Wichita Falls, Wichita County, Texas - Harold Hubbard Thomas
Death	13 Feb 2014	Wichita Falls, Wichita County, Texas

Spouse

Harold Hubbard Thomas (1905 - 1986)