Collette Marie Thomas passed away in her home on June 6, 2025, after valiantly fighting pancreatic cancer for almost five years. Her cancer battle was fought admirably with a determined, positive and graceful spirit. She was truly a warrior who defeated the odds.

Collette was born on February 23, 1952, to the late Anthony Edward and Regina Marie Katona. She was born and raised in Kulpmont, Pennsylvania and was a 1970 graduate of Our Lady of Lourdes High School.

Collette married Thomas Daniel Thomas in 1971 and together they began a family with their two children, Tommy and Shelby. While raising their family in Bloomsburg, Pa, Collette found opportunities to be involved in the community. Family was her main priority, and she always attempted to bring people together to enjoy social gatherings.

Spending time in the kitchen was where her heart was truly at peace. Over the years, she enjoyed cooking classes, cooking shows and reading cookbooks as a hobby. Due to her love of family and cooking, she had the charism of hospitality and always welcomed people into her home to serve them and make them feel special. Collette also had the gift of putting people at ease by her humor and levity. She greatly enjoyed reading, she had an intuitive sense of interior decorating, dominated all games that she played, and was a talented piano player. When not engaged in her hobbies or with family, she worked administrative jobs and was a Real Estate Abstractor at local courthouses. Upon retirement, she and her husband relocated to Calabash, NC.

Most affectionately known as Nana, which was her most cherished title, she was considered to be a kind and loving grandmother, wife, mother and friend. She will be missed immensely by those who knew her and loved her.  She will also be remembered for the way she loved her people so very well.

Collette is remembered by her husband of 54 years, Thomas D. Thomas. She leaves behind her son, Thomas D. Thomas Jr., and his wife, Leah, along with their son, Cody, of Ocean Isle Beach, NC. She is also survived by her daughter, Shelby Thomas Kanoy, and her husband, Paul, and their two children, Noah and Maris, of Apex, NC. Her family was her greatest joy, and her love for them was unwavering.

Her legacy will live on in the hearts of those who loved her. We hope that the way she lived her life will serve to inspire those who may be personally affected by cancer or those supporting loved ones going through cancer. Please keep the repose of Collette’s soul in your prayers.

Psalm 4:8 “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.”  -Thucydides