Elsie Mae Mullin Thomas, 94, a resident of Kirkland Village, Bethlehem, PA, passed away on Friday, July 21 at St. Luke's Hospice in Bethlehem. Widowed in August 2016, Elsie continued living independently and pursuing her widely varied interests until the end of her life.

Born Jan.28, 1923 in Pottsville, PA, Elsie volunteered more than 1000 hours in the USO during WWII while employed in insurance, fundraising, and customer relations. In 1947 she married high school classmate Herman Thomas, a Marine just back from service in the Pacific theatre. Their life together took them to Pittsburgh, PA; Rockdale, Texas; Shaker Heights, Ohio; Geneva, Switzerland; Hudson, Ohio; and then Bethlehem, PA, where at age 88 the two of them eased into a congenial retirement community.

The seventh of ten children, coming of age during the Great Depression, Elsie was initially thwarted in her dream of pursuing a college education. But after raising a family of three children; contributing untold volunteer hours to church, her children's schools, and the American Field Service; singing in church choirs; and writing children's stories and adult feature articles for publication, she refocused on the goal of her youth. In 1987, at age 64, with her family clapping and cheering, she graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Vermont College of Norwich University.

While continuing as a freelance writer, Elsie developed a passionate interest in gardening and became a Master Gardener. A lover of trees, she also played a key role on her local tree commission in Ohio, planning and supervising the planting and care of shade trees. An avid reader, she kept up with current events and was an eager book group participant. Always interested in family, she became a passionate amateur genealogist, eventually writing a family history that she shared with her many siblings.  She warmly embraced grandparenthood and then great-grandparenthood. To all her activities she applied her keen intelligence, endless curiosity, and laser-like attention to detail.

Elsie is survived by daughters Marilyn Devroye of Summit, NJ and Elisabeth Thomas-Matej of Shaker Heights, OH; son David Thomas of Newport, RI; grandchildren Daniel, Anthony, Frankie, Evan, and Madelaine; and great-grandchildren Benjamin, Lucas, Oliver, Thomas, Simon, and Martin. A memorial service will be held at Kirkland Village in August. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate a contribution to the Bethlehem Public Library South Side Branch, 400 Webster St., Bethlehem, PA 18015.