Carole L. Thomas

Carole L. Thomas, age 75, of Sherwood, Ohio, died on Saturday, September 21, 2019, at Community Health Professionals Inpatient Hospice near Defiance, Ohio. Carole was a graduate of Sheridan High School, Sheridan, Indiana, and attended Purdue University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts, with distinction, in German and a Master of Arts in German. She was a teaching assistant for two years and a full-time instructor for one year at Purdue University before moving to the Chicago area, where she taught high school German for one year before moving to Ohio. In Ohio she taught second grade at a local school for seven years, taking classes at Defiance College to receive her Ohio teaching certificate. Carole raised hogs farrow to finish for fourteen years before returning to education at Defiance College as Admission Counselor (two years) and Director of Career and Student Assistance, Co-operative Education and Testing (fourteen years). She served on many campus committees, including Strategic Planning, North Central Review and Marketing. She served as president of the DC Women’s Club for over twenty years. She received her Ducktorate Degree from Disney University in 2000. Carole was an Emerita Member of the American Association of Educators and Employers (AAEE), a member of the Ohio Association of Educators and Employers and the only two-time recipient of the Hazel M. Brown Award of Excellence in Career Education in Ohio. She served one term as president of that organization. As a lifetime member of the Ohio Cooperative Education Association, Carole was Archivist (seven years) and member of the Conference Planning (nine years) and Scholarship Committees (four years). Carole L. Thomas was born on December 25, 1943, the daughter of Kirk and Norma (Ennis) Rawlins. She married Norman W. Thomas on January 19, 1964, in West Lafayette, Indiana, and he survives. Carole is also survived by one brother, Gary (Janet) Rawlins, of Frankfort, Indiana, one sister-in-law, Jane (Terry) Shorter, of Elkhart, Indiana, nine nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews, and great-great-nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother and sister-in-law, Paul and Loretta Rawlins. Visitation will be from 4:00 to 6:00 P.M on Tuesday, October 1, 2019, at the Sherwood United Methodist Church. A short service will be held following visitation with Pastor Kevin Doseck officiating. A graveside service will be held at Centennial Cemetery in Martinsville, Indiana, at 3:00 P.M. on Friday, October 4, 2019, with Reverend V. J. Stover officiating. Memorial contributions may be made to the Dr. Norman W. Thomas and Carole L. Thomas Scholarship in Food Science at Purdue University-Purdue Ag Development Office, Pfendler Hall, 715 West State Street, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907.