Olive W. Thomas Indialantic Olive W. Thomas, 90, passed away Saturday, June 13, 2009, at 6:30 p.m., at the William Childs Hospice House. Olive Wilson Bloodworth was born in Friendship, Marion County, South Carolina, one of seven children of Viola James Wilson and Ellic D. Wilson. Survivors include her daughter, Norma J. Penton of West Melbourne, Fl; a son, Robert Wilson Bloodworth of Florence; four grandchildren, Tammy Salmon of Tallahassee, FL, Robin Bloodworth of Melbourne, FL, T.J. Penton of Los Angeles, CA, and John Bloodworth of Honolulu, HI; and four great- grandchildren. Others survivors include her sisters, Ida Kelley, Janie Sheriff and Mollie Robertson of South Carolina. Her beautiful little cockatiel, Tweety, and Winnie and Pepper her daughters little dogs, will miss their daily companion. Olive W. Thomas was married twice. Her first husband, Robert Bloodworth, father of her children, died in 1949. She married Henry Thomas in 1961, a third generation Floridian, and has lived in Indialantic, FL for 48 years. Henry died in 1992. Her professional life included two years of teaching at Aynor High School, where the students dedicated their yearbook to her, also at Timmonsville High School, historic St. Winifreds (the last teacher there) and eleven years at Poynor Junior High School in South Carolina, Florence and Melbourne High School. She also served on the National Advisory Board for Scholastic Magazines and was a consultant for a book by Scholastic, Communication. She remarried to Henry D. Thomas of Melbourne, FL on June 16, 1961 and moved to Florida. She taught nine years at Southwest Jr. High School. She Received a Masters degree from Stetson University (Magna Cum Laude) in 1970. She became a counselor for six years in Brevard County, and then served as County Career Education Coordinator for six years before accepting the position of State Coordinator for career Education for Florida. In that position, she received citations, plaques, certificates of appreciation and other awards, including Floridas distinction of being cited by the U.S. office of Education as having an exemplary program and announcing through the U.S.O.E. Olive Thomas is the best State Career Education Coordinator in America. At a banquet given for her on her retirement (due to her husbands illness) in Miami after she had given her speech of appreciation, she was given a standing ovation by the 400 attendees. One of the Florida publications, in announcing her retirement, had this beginning sentence. One of Floridas best loved educators has retired. She was also named Boss of the year by the Brevard Association of Office Personnel, identified by the Florida Personnel and Guidance Association as the most Outstanding Individual Professional in the State of Florida. Olive Thomas was the familys matriarch, the glue that held her family together. A true Southern Magnolia in every sense of the word: she was an inspiration to her family, friends, colleagues, and the students who were blessed enough to know her. She will be sorely missed by us all, but happy in the presence of her God and in her reunion with her precious Mama and Daddy. UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN! Memorial Services will be held at the Brownlie- Maxwell Chapel in Melbourne, Fl , on Thursday, June 18th, at 10:30 a.m. A local service will be held at 10 am on Saturday, June 20 at Friendship Baptist Church with burial to follow in the Church cemetery . The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service from 9:00-10:00 am in the Church. Richardson Funeral Home of Marion is assisting the family. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the William Childs Hospice House or the _Alzheimer`s Association_ (http://media.legacy.com/accipiter/adclick/CID=000004c4b18aea7200000000/acc_random=6163094951/pageid=608097076/ccid= 1220/aamgnrc1=Alzheimer`s%20Association/site=LEGACY/aamsz=CLIO/area=FLORENCE NEWS.13/zone=SEARCHRESULTS/prod=1/relocate=https://act.alz.org/site/Donation 2?df_id=5080&5080.donation=form1&set.TributeType=MEMORIAL&set.custom.honoree _name=Olive+Thomas) , 4124 Clemson Blvd., Anderson, SC 29621. Published in the Morning News on 6/18/2009 **************Download the AOL Classifieds Toolbar for local deals at your fingertips. (http://toolbar.aol.com/aolclassifieds/download.html?ncid=emlcntusdown00000004)