Mrs. Deborah Rose Thomas, of Newbern, passed away Monday, April 28, 2025 at her home.  She was born April 13, 1954 to the late John and Amaryllis Hooper.  She is fondly remembered by her students for her dedication, spending 30 years as an elementary school teacher for Dyersburg City Schools. She was a long time member of First Baptist Church in Newbern where she participated in many ministries.  In her free time, she loved following her grandchildren's activities and family trips to the beach.

Deborah is survived by her husband, Jeff Thomas, her daughters Emilee French, and husband Mike and Mary Kathryn Funderburk and husband Brian, her brother Johnny Hooper and sister Lee Ann Sikes.  She was greatly loved as "Gran" by her grandchildren, Aaron and Clark French and Holland Rose Funderburk.  She is preceded in death by her parents John Hurley Hooper and Amaryllis McDaniel Hooper.

Funeral services will be held at First Baptist Church in Newbern on Friday, May 2, 2025 at 12:00 p.m. conducted by Mr. Mike McCullough.  Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. and interment will follow in Fairview Cemetery in Newbern.  Serving as pallbearers will be Mike Ladd, Chuck Morgan, Ben Allen, Jeff Ladd, Jonathan Bell and Charles Funderburk with Tom Foster and Dave Parrish as honorary pallbearers.

The family of Deborah Thomas request that memorials be directed to the youth ministry or building fund of First Baptist Church in Newbern, TN.