Vera Thomas, age 82, of Paxton, Florida, passed away November 5, 2026. She was born January 12, 1944, the daughter of Roy Meir and Ruth Cooper Meir.

Vera had a heart for people and a gift for making them feel welcome. Through her work as a meal site manager for the Paxton Council on Aging, she found both her purpose and her ministry. To Vera, serving a meal meant much more than putting food on a table. It was an opportunity to offer a warm greeting, share a conversation, and let someone know they mattered. She loved the daily fellowship, the familiar faces, and the friendships that grew around those tables. The people she served became dear to her, and they loved her in return. Her kindness helped make the meal site a place where people could find nourishment, companionship, and a sense of belonging.

Vera loved music and dancing, and she enjoyed spending time at area senior centers, where her natural rhythm and joyful spirit found a happy home on the dance floor. The music, laughter, and fellowship brought her great pleasure.

She also thoroughly enjoyed talking on the telephone. A call from Vera could come at just about any hour, and anyone who answered soon learned that it was best to find a comfortable chair and settle in. Vera always had something to share, someone to ask about, and one more thing to say before hanging up. Those long conversations were another way she kept the people she loved close to her heart.

Her home was a gathering place for generations of family and friends. Nieces, nephews, cousins, and neighbors found an open door and a warm welcome there. She especially looked forward to hosting family reunions, treasuring the opportunity to bring everyone together under one roof. A house full of conversation, laughter, and familiar faces was one of Vera’s greatest joys. Everyone was welcome, and she wanted everyone to feel at home.

Vera was a member of Paxton Assembly of God Church, where she lovingly served in the nursery. Caring for the children brought her a special happiness, and she treasured the opportunity to help them feel safe, loved, and cared for. Whether tending to a little one at church or serving an older friend at the meal site, Vera expressed her faith through the care she gave others. Her faith in Jesus Christ sustained her throughout her life.

Above all, Vera loved her family. She cherished being a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and she relished being their “Maw Maw.” Her love will live on in the family she nurtured, the friendships she treasured, and the many people whose days she brightened.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Melvin Thomas; son, Corky Thomas; granddaughter, Alexis Thomas; and parents, Roy and Ruth Meir.

She is survived by her daughter, Melissa Windham; sister, Shelly Best; grandchildren, Heather Infinger, Catherine McKevitt, Hannah Grace North, Samuel White, Elias Windham, Morgan Sanders, and Skyler Sanders; and six great-grandchildren.

A celebration of life service for Vera Thomas will be held at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, November 8, 2026, at Evans Funeral Home. Visitation with the family will begin one hour prior to the service.