Longtime Pagosa Springs resident Marcia Thomas passed away on Thursday evening, Feb. 5, in Pagosa Mountain Hospital at the age of 91.
Marcia and her husband, Walter, moved to Pagosa Springs in 1953 with their three children, Mary Kathryn, Julie Ann and Richard Walter. Marcia was preceded in death by her daughter, Julie Ann Bissell, and her husband, Walter C. Thomas, Jr. She is survived by her daughter, Mary Kathryn Carpenter and husband Van Carpenter, and grandson Sean Griffin; her son-in-law, Nick Bissell, and grandson Rory Bissell; and her son, Richard Walter Thomas and wife Bonnie Thomas, and grandchildren Cody Thomas and Kayley Ireland. She has two great-grandchildren.
Marcia was born in Eveleth, Minn., on Sept. 29, 1923. She attended the University of Colorado in Boulder, where she earned a teaching degree and pledged the Pi Beta Phi sorority. She moved to Long Beach, Calif., where she taught elementary school and met her future husband. She was married to Walter for nearly 60 years before his death in 2006. Together, they operated a cattle ranch east of Pagosa Springs. Marcia taught school briefly at Pagosa Springs Elementary School and later worked at the local Head Start Program. She is still known by many of her students today.
In her later years, Marcia greatly enjoyed her association with the Pi Phi alumni currently living in Pagosa Springs and attended many of their social gatherings.
A memorial service in Marcia’s honor will be held at the home place in June or July of this year; time and date to be announced in The SUN. Contributions in Marcia’s honor may be made to Pagosa Mountain Hospital.
