Dolores Mercedes (Knowles) Thomas was born on December 26, 1931 in Key West, Florida to Alfred Willis Knowles and Edna Amanda (Jones) Knowles. She lived in the Bahamian community of Key West until she was about 4 years old when the family moved to Miami.
In the 1940s, she and her mother moved to Boston, Massachusetts to live with her grandmother, Irene Kelsey (Johnson) Knowles and Dolores’ father. They lived in a brownstone Irene owned at 533 Massachusetts Ave. Dolores graduated from Boston Girls’ High School in June 1950.
In 1949, Dolores married the love of her life, Hunter Thomas, Jr. He was born in Jacksonville, Florida, moving to Atlanta, Georgia as a very young child and spent his teenage years in Cleveland, Ohio. He joined the Coast Guard and was stationed in Massachusetts when they met. They had five children: four boys and a girl, in the years from 1952-1966. She lived in the home they built in New Bedford until her death.
Dolores managed the household through many of Hunter’s deployments, including a temporary assignment to Naval housing in Groton, Connecticut. When Tracie was a toddler, Dolores went back to school to achieve a nursing degree. She graduated and became an LPN, a career she proudly practiced for many years, working as a charge nurse at Frances P. Memorial.
She was in poor health in her last years, but her smile never faded, along with the hope that she would soon be reunited with her beloved husband in heaven.
She was predeceased by her husband in 1989, by her daughter in law, Karen (Tatum) Thomas in 2007, twin grandsons David and Daniel Waller in 1989, and by her grandson, Brian Willis Thomas, Jr. (JR) in 2011.
Dolores is survived by her five children: Brian W. Thomas, and wife Susan (Mocsny); Gary A. Thomas and Sharon (Sylvester) Faniel; Wayne M. Thomas and wife Cheryl (White); Anthony K. Thomas and Lisa Ribeiro; and Tracie A. (Thomas) Waller, and husband David. She is also survived by her brothers: William Alexander Knowles and his wife, Yvonzell (Davis); Willis Alfred Knowles and his wife, Leola (Ladson); as well as many loving cousins, nieces and nephews.
Six grandchildren also mourn her passing: Rosella Thomas; Wayne M. Thomas, Jr. and Emmanuel M. Thomas; Nakiesha, Treneé, and Nicholas Waller and six great-grandchildren: Trey and Tyson Thomas; Nadijah, Micaiah and Hassan Thomas; and KarminDee Cruz. Her first great-great grandchild is due in early 2017.
Her Funeral Service will be held on Thursday, January 5th at 11 AM in the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park St., New Bedford. Burial will follow in Rural Cemetery. Visiting hours will be on Wednesday, January 4th from 4-8 PM.