Delores Boggs Thomas
Delores “Dee” Boggs Thomas, 74, of Roanoke, VA peacefully passed away on Wednesday, December 18, 2024, surrounded by her family. She was preceded in death by her parents, Thurston and Verona Boggs; sister, Mary Esther Boggs; and brothers, Thurston “Buddy” Boggs Jr. and Michael Boggs Sr.
Dee was a remarkable wife, mother and grandmother who always put her family first, especially her children and grandchildren. She is survived by her loving husband of 53 years, Danny Thomas; daughters, Jennifer Downen (Tod) and Stefanie Cheatham (Darren); grandchildren, Cole Cheatham (Rebecca), Abbey Cheatham, Grace Downen, Lucas Downen, and Owen Downen; along with many precious family, friends and colleagues.
Dee was born and raised in Falling Springs, VA before heading to Roanoke to attend nursing school at Roanoke Memorial Hospital. She met Danny while at nursing school and they went on a blind date set up by friends. He made her laugh on that very first date and it continued every day after. After becoming a registered nurse in 1971, she continued to work in various healthcare settings for over 50 years, including Head Nurse on 6 East at Roanoke Memorial Hospital, Senior Case Manager and Nurse Navigator.
A strong woman of faith, Dee was a founding member of Parkway Wesleyan Church (formerly Fallon Park Wesleyan). She spent much of her life attending church and exhibiting a servant’s heart daily. Her spirit of serving others could be seen in the hours spent teaching Sunday School to toddlers, donating gallons of blood until she was no longer able, and countless meals she lovingly prepared for her extended family, even when her own health struggled. Her selflessness and boundless love was shown to not just her own family, but also to the many people who thought of her as a second “mom.”
Dee cherished spending time with her family, both here in the Roanoke area as well as in North Carolina. She was fiercely proud of her grandchildren, who called her Nannie, and were the light of her life filling up much of her time over the past 28 years. She made it a priority to watch each of her grandchildren play the sports and activities they loved. It gave her such pride to see her two granddaughters graduate from college, two grandsons graduate from high school and her oldest grandson get married!! Dee had the ability to make each of her grandchildren feel deeply loved and special, which is a testament to her remarkable compassion for the people she cherished the most.
Her love of sports was witnessed by her enthusiastic cheers for the Virginia Tech Hokies in both football and basketball games. Many fall seasons were spent dressing in orange and maroon screaming “GO Hokies” from the stands. Dee also loved to travel with her husband, Danny and his brother, Gary to the beaches of both North and South Carolina, especially Hilton Head Island. Some of her favorite time was spent just sitting on the sand with a big hat on her head, watching the waves or her grandchildren play in the ocean.
The love we feel for “Nannie” is incredibly strong and enduring. Her legacy will linger in all of our hearts and lives forever. “She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” Proverbs 31:25
The family will have a Chapel Service on Saturday, December 28, 2024 at 1:00pm at Simpson Funeral Home, 5160 Peters Creek Rd. Roanoke, VA 24019. A visitation will be held one hour prior from 12:00pm – 1:00pm. Interment will take place at Trinity Cemetery, Troutville, VA.
After a fierce battle with cancer for over 7 years, Dee had hoped to beat this terrible disease. In her memory, donations can be made to the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research. www.v.org
