Frances Anne Thomas

With deep love and admiration, we celebrate the extraordinary life of Anne/Nanny/Aunt Annette/Aunty Anne, a woman of unmatched spirit, curiosity, and courage, who passed away peacefully on June 23, 2025, holding Roy's hand and accompanied by Balla-Rena both of whom she so dearly cherished.

Born in Greenville, SC on December 19, 1928, Anne lived a life that defied convention and embraced adventure. She was a trailblazer in every sense of the word—a pioneer in her professional and personal life, and a source of strength, kindness and inspiration to all who knew her.

A proud public servant, she served as the Director of Civilian Payroll for the U.S. Department of the Navy, where her precision, integrity, and leadership left a lasting impact. Her commitment to excellence and tireless work ethic earned the respect of colleagues across the country.

Outside of the office, Anne truly soared. She was a licensed pilot who took to the skies in her own Cessna airplanes, a daring stock car racer who embraced the thrill of the track, and a world traveler with a passport full of stamps and a heart full of stories. Whether she was navigating foreign cities or flying above the clouds, she brought curiosity, confidence, and grace to every experience making friends wherever she went!

But her proudest roles were those closest to home. Anne was a devoted wife to Roy, a loving mother to Balla-Rena and James, a treasured grandmother and great-grandmother, and a beloved aunt. She made every holiday magical with her angel food (rice krispy treats) and snow ice cream, every birthday and graduation special with her presence, every wedding an event to remember with her seamstress skills or travel across the world, and every ordinary day feel extraordinary with each phone call checking in or just to say hi. Her smile, laughter, wisdom, and unconditional love were the heartbeat of her family.

She is survived by her devoted and loving husband of 58 years, Roy and her daughter Balla-Rena (and Ron) and grandchildren Casi (and Curt), Marci (and Srinath), Michelle (and Michael), Emily, Jimmy (and Claudia), and Joseph along with great-grandchildren - Elizabeth (and Chandler), Nathan, Jonathan, Kaeshev, Samantha, Rebeka, Hanorah, David, Kevin, Brandon, Lillian, Joseph Jr, Joseph Edward King, Janaya, Joseph Edward Prince, and many cherished nieces, nephews and friends who will carry her memory forward with love and gratitude. She was preceded in death by her son James, parents Gracie and Cullen Whitfield and siblings Edna May, Cullen Jr, Willie, Minnie Lou, Melvin, Martin, Robert, Ora, Eva May, Sidney and Vera.

In honoring her life, we celebrate not only her many accomplishments but the deep compassion, strength, and joy she shared so freely. Anne/Nanny/Aunt Annette/Aunty Anne taught us all to live boldly, love deeply, and never be afraid to chase the horizon. She will be greatly missed!A viewing will be held on Friday, June 27 at 10:30am at Mynatt Funeral Home in Fountain City and an Interment service will follow at Lynnhurst Cemetery at 1:00pm. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly asks for donations to The Learning Tree Farm in Dayton, OH (www.learningtreefarm.org) in honor of Anne’s adventurous spirit and loving, generous heart.

Mynatt Funeral Home, Fountain City chapel is honored to serve the family of Frances Anne Thomas.