Bernice Jefferys Thomas

Bernice "Jeff" Jefferys Thomas, 91, passed away peacefully on February 23rd at her residence in LifeStream Assisted Living. Born April 11, 1927 in Philadelphia, PA to John and Amelia Jefferys, Jeff was known for her wonderful sense of humor, love of golf, and devotion to her family and friends. As one of nine children, she was a loving and caring daughter and sister. Jeff married her high school sweetheart, Daniel Thomas in 1947, upon his return from serving in the U.S. Navy in World War II. Dan and Jeff moved to the Cleveland, OH area in 1949, where they raised four children.Longing for the warm weather and a place to play their beloved sport of golf, Dan and Jeff moved the family to Plantation, FL in 1969. There they enjoyed a wonderful life of sunshine, golf and great friends. As their children grew and gravitated to the West, Dan and Jeff followed, settling in Sun City West, AZ in 1992, close to their children and grandchildren. Dan passed away in 2010 after 63 wonderful years of marriage.Jeff was an accomplished seamstress, quilter, and knitter, making many quilts and baby blankets her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren still use today. She so loved cooking and entertaining, and she and Dan were great hosts to all their guests.A talented golfer, she boasts having four holes in one, and made many close friends out on the course in Florida and Arizona. Jeff loved to dance. She and Dan could be seen jitterbugging on the dance floor well into their senior years. Jeff is survived by sons, Daniel (Rhoni) and Patrick (Sandi); daughters, June Torrance (Matt) and Susan (Bill Scheel); and grandchildren: Jill Knuth (Dean), Sarah Sheldon (Aaron), Andrew Torrance (Melissa), Benjamin Scheel (Erica Switalla), Abigail Scheel, and Noah and Eric Thomas. Jeff also has nine great-grandchildren.Jeff will be greatly missed by friends and family, but we are enormously grateful for the time we had with her. She was a wonderful wife, mom, grandma, great grandma, sister and friend. Although small in stature, she had an incredible inner strength and powerful personality, and she will continue to live large in our hearts. The family would like to thank Hospice of the Valley and Nurse Samantha, as well as the LifeStream Green House 85 care team. It was extremely comforting to know that Jeff was safe, comfortable, and well cared for during her final months.A memorial service will be held at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Sun City West on Friday, March 8th at 10:00 A.M. Memorial contributions can be made to the Sisters of Christian Charity, 350 Bernardsville Rd., Mendham, New Jersey, 07945. Please join Bernice's family in sharing memories, pictures or videos on her tribute wall at www.caminodelsol.com.