Obituary of Gladys L Thomas

Gladys Thomas was the daughter of Ralph Thomas and Louise Thomas Kelly, and step daughter of, William Kelly Sr. She was born on February 18, 1923 in Atlanta Georgia where she grew up and spent summers with family in Covington, Georgia. Gladys attended Bell Street Elementary School, David T. Howard Junior High, and graduated from Book T. Washington High School in 1941. In her early twenties, Gladys moved to Newark, New Jersey where she was a stay at home mom and provided in-home daycare for neighborhood children, in addition to being a Class Mother at the local elementary school, and a Cub Scout Den Mother. After her children became older, Gladys worked as a Food Service Aide with the City of Newark Nutrition Program for the Elderly for a period of time. She eventually earned a certificate in social work and worked for the City of Newark as a Field Representative for the Foster Grandparent Program, and a Social Worker for the Action Now Program. Gladys also did volunteer work for the Laubach Literacy Tutoring Program and was very active in local politics. Gladys also resided in Newark, New Jersey until 1989, and then relocated to Severn, Maryland. She also resided in Glen Burnie, Maryland; New Brunswick, NJ; and Jacksonville, NC for a time before she settled in Voorhees, NJ where she lived out the remainder of her life. Gladys always found a home church as she traveled to different destinations with her daughter and participated in missionary work wherever she went. Her final home church was here at Commitment Community Church. Gladys is preceded in death by her sister, Blanche Kelly Weaver and brother, William Kelly Jr. She is also the sister-in-law of Viola Kelly Hicks. Gladys is the mother of five children, Marshall Thomas of Pennsylvania, Ralph Saleem of North Carolina, Richard Thomas of Irvington New Jersey, Rahman Wadud of Maryland, and Viola Douglas of Voorhees New Jersey. The mother-in-law of Mable Thomas, Regina Saleem, Alice Thomas, Linda Wadud, and Samuel Douglas. She is the proud grandmother of 17 grand-children; Nancy Rogers, Ada and Raymond Rodriguez, Darrin and Karen Harris, Amin and Jayyiddah Thomas, Majid Reese, Nadirah Thomas-Mackey, Hannah Saleem, Serene Thomas, Ngozi Thomas, Marcus Cox, Gregory Graham, Michele Graham, Samuel Douglas II, and Taylor Douglas. And, also a host of great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren.