Constance Beels Thomas, loving wife, mother, grandmother and friend, passed away peacefully March 19, 2024, at HopeHealth Hulitar Hospice at the age of 97.
Born Feb. 21, 1927, in Amsterdam, Constance, known to her friends as Connie, was born to Gerard Haro Beels and Gonda Matron. She was one of five children and is survived by her sister Sacha.
Connie lived through the hardships of World War II before embarking on a career in the foreign office in The Hague, where she worked for NATO. It was during her voyage to the United States on the ship Nieuw Amsterdam that she met her future husband, W. G. Brooks Thomas. They were married Oct. 11, 1952, and spent 55 wonderful years together until his passing in 2008.
Connie and Brooks moved frequently throughout the years, making friends in Providence, R.I., Old Lyme and Watertown, Conn., and Baltimore. In retirement, they settled in Jamestown. Later in life, she enjoyed the company of companion, Robert Welty, who passed in 2019.
Connie was a talented woman who loved tennis, needlepoint, reading and gardening. She was a member of her local garden club and enjoyed spending time at the Dunes Club in Narragansett and the Conanicut Yacht Club in Jamestown.
She had a creative drive and used it to write and illustrate children’s stories for her grandchildren and create beautiful needlepoint pieces. She never failed to remember her children’s and grandchildren’s birthdays each year.
Connie is survived by her three children, Pamela Thomas Burman (Larry), Mark van Lennep Thomas (Kitty), and Geraldine Brooks Carroll (Charles), as well as 10 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her son, Samuel Phillips Thomas and her husband. She leaves behind a legacy of love, kindness and cherished memories.
A celebration of Connie’s life will be scheduled in the future. May she rest in peace, knowing she was loved and cherished by all who knew her.
In lieu of flowers, please consider honoring Constance’s love of birding with a donation to The Audubon Society of Rhode Island. Donations can be made online at: asri.org/donate or mailed to 12 Sanderson Rd Smithfield, RI 02917. Please reference Constance’s name with your donation.
Additional information at www.memorialfuneralhome.com.