Erma Doris Thomson's Obituary
Erma Doris Thomson, 98, passed away peacefully on August 31, 2021, surrounded by her family.
Anyone near Erma’s orbit feels a great loss in her passing. But what she leaves behind is a legacy of love spanning generations. Her special kindness and genuine spirit made her steadfast friends wherever she went. Known for her timeless style and quiet wit, Erma was a favorite at any gathering, often donning party-themed jewelry in celebration (pumpkin-shaped glasses and a necklace of flashing Christmas lights come to mind). Although she was never one to step into the spotlight, she took a rare moment of stage time at her granddaughter’s wedding rehearsal dinner, where she played the washboard with a local New Orleans band. (She brought the house down.) Erma kept her gentle smile and her wry wit until the very end.
Hailing from Ft. Smith, Arkansas, Erma moved her parents and two children to Dallas in 1966 where she became one of the first 10 people to join the Mary Kay Cosmetics staff. She worked as Mary Kay’s Special Assistant for nearly 30 years and broke boundary after boundary as a working woman, though you would never hear her phrase it that way. Erma would much rather have had stories shared from all around the table, which is typically what happened when you visited with her.
After her retirement, Erma enjoyed traveling with her daughter and Friday night dinners with her son (El Fenix was her personal favorite), and visits to Times Ten with her friends. She attended book clubs and luncheons and shopping trips and graduations and just about any game one of her great-grandsons played. She adored her family and friends, and rarely missed an opportunity to be with them.
Above all, Erma wrote. She wrote to everyone about everything. New babies, new homes, new jobs. Weddings, memorials, and just-because. If ever a grandchild moved away, handwritten thinking-of-you notes arrived regularly with clippings from the local paper and some “coffee money” tucked inside to subtly remind them how lovely the fall could be in Dallas or how good the food was this year at the State Fair. Amongst family and friends alike, hardly ever did she leave a birthday forgotten, a milestone uncelebrated, or a thank-you note un-thanked. Her thoughtfulness knew no limits. In her 80s, she decided that her birthday could reasonably be celebrated for a week; and, in her 90s, she readily accepted a month-long celebration. On her 98th birthday, she said, “I guess if I make it to 100, we’ll have to celebrate all year.”
Erma's legacy is carried on by her family and friends, whose photos she proudly displayed all around her: daughter Tricia (husband Eric); son Jim (wife Susan); grandson Dane (wife Christy, children Reagan, Haylie, Jordon, Jakson, and Jaycob); granddaughter Samantha (husband Troy, son Luke); and many extended family and friends too numerous to list but no less cherished. She is preceded in death by her parents, Mada and Pat Robertson.
It is in the tender care that Erma took of all her loved ones that resides her most important achievement – her connection to people. In the moments she took to handwrite a card, in the hours after a meal she stayed to listen and share, in the squeeze of a hand and a long-held look to be sure you knew she loved you and couldn’t wait to see you again. That’s our Ermie.
A celebration of life will be held at Highland Park United Methodist Church in Dallas on September 9 at 3:00PM.
Erma's granddaughter is putting together a book of memories for the family, so if you would like to contribute a handwritten note about Erma, please send those to: Erma's Legacy of Love, 7465 Walling Lane, Dallas, TX 75231.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations in Erma’s name to The C.C. Young Benevolent Foundation, 4847 W. Lawther Drive, Suite #100, Dallas, Texas 75214 Attn: Mindy Hail or Mary Kay Foundation P.O. Box 799044, Dallas, Texas 75379-9044.
Live stream link : online.brushfire.com
What’s your fondest memory of Erma?
What’s a lesson you learned from Erma?
Share a story where Erma's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Erma you’ll never forget.
How did Erma make you smile?