Brenda Thomas

Brenda Wiltshire Thomas, of Gainesville, Florida, passed away on September 19, 2024, at the age of 102. Throughout her long life, Brenda was dedicated to enriching the lives of those around her.

Brenda was born in 1922 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. During World War II she came to the United States to attend the University of Wisconsin, graduating in 1945. She married Dr. William Clark Thomas Jr. (Billy) in 1946. Brenda and Billy lived in New York City and Baltimore before settling in Gainesville, where she spent the rest of her life supporting the communities around her. In the 1970s, she opened a store at Sunland Training Center (now known as Tacachale), which allowed developmentally disabled residents to buy small personal items such as radios and jewelry. She later became a travel agent and helped the Gainesville community travel around the world for two decades. Throughout her life, she remained closely involved in philanthropic and community organizations dedicated to a variety of causes. In her later years, Brenda turned her talent for sewing to quilting, and she made quilts for residents of Skilled Nursing at Oak Hammock, the retirement community where she and Billy lived since 2004.

Her family will remember Brenda as the center of family life and a constant source of support. She was predeceased by her husband Billy, to whom she was married for 64 years. She is survived by her four children: Sharron Thomas Cochran, Brenda Lynn Thomas, James Clark Thomas, and Valerie Thomas Bukharin (Oleg); her seven grandchildren: Lauren and Blake Cochran, Jay, Brian and Billy Thomas, and Irina and Alexander Bukharin; and her great-grandchild, Hunter Thomas. Her many friends, whom she treasured throughout her life, will also feel her loss.

A memorial service for Brenda will be held at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church at 100 NE 1st St, Gainesville, on Tuesday, October 1, at 2 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Oak Hammock Employee Appreciation Fund, with checks sent to Oak Hammock at 5100 SW 25th Blvd, Gainesville, FL 32608.

Arrangements are by Milam Funeral Home, Inc. 311 S. Main St., Gainesville, FL 32601. (352) 376-5361.www.milamfh.com