Fannie Longley Thomason passed away peacefully at her residence Tuesday March 27, 2018. She was born at James Walker Memorial Hospital in Wilmington on November 13, 1928, the daughter of Henry Edgar Longley and Mary DeLean Ayers. She was preceded in death by her parents, a brother, Henry Edgar Longley Jr., her childhood friend and husband of 63 years, Raymond Braddy Thomason, and a grandson, Raymond Braddy Thomason III. She is survived by a sister, DeLean Longley Gardner of Wilmington; two sons, Henry Havens Thomason and Raymond Braddy Thomason Jr.; two daughters, Kirby Thomason Tyson and DeLean Thomason Brandon and two sister-in-law's, Mrs. Henry E. Longley, Jr. and Mrs. Gilbert Thomason. She is also survived by nine grandchildren, Navy Lt. Henry Longley Thomason, Jason Marsh Tyson, Caroline Tyson Cox, John Havens Tyson, Henry Culbreath Tyson, Richard Myer Thomason, Beaumont York Thomason, Joseph Green Brandon IV and Emily Elizabeth Longley Brandon; and five great-grandchildren, William Bradley Cox, Charles Hamilton Cox, Caroline Kirby Cox, Mary Louise Cox and Isabella Avelino Thomason. Mrs. Thomason grew up in Wilmington and attended Fairfax Hall College Preparatory in Waynesboro, Virginia, where she graduated in 1946. She later attended and graduated from Converse College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. After moving to Fayetteville, Mrs. Thomason became heavily involved in civic, religious and philanthropic organizations. She was a member at First Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville for 65 years. She taught Sunday school at the church with her husband, was vice president of Women of the Church, and served on the church's decorating committee. Mrs. Thomason was a founding board member of the Fayetteville College Foundation (later Methodist College) and was chairperson of the college's first community fund drive. She served as president of The Junior League of Fayetteville and of the city-wide Parent-Teacher Association. She also served on the advisory board and as a general officer of the Salvation Army. She was founder and first chairperson of The Fayetteville Day Nursery, the first community-sponsored day nursery in Cumberland County. With her husband, Mrs. Thomason contributed quietly and frequently to numerous charitable, political and religious organizations. Mrs. Thomason will be remembered as a loving mother, a skilled decorator and a homemaker who loved flowers, cooking, reading the bible, reciting poetry and songs, and riding horses. Mrs. Thomason's family wishes to thank Mary Nancy Pearson and Helen Pearson Louis and their family, Mary Jane Slate, Rhonda Cranson, Paulette Woodell and Cape Fear Hospice each for their care and support. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, March 30, 2018, in the sanctuary at First Presbyterian Church, 102 Ann Street. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Samaritan's Purse, P.O. Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607-3000, or to the First Presbyterian Church, 102 Ann St., Fayetteville, NC 28301. Services are entrusted to Jernigan-Warren of Fayetteville.

Published in the Wilmington Star-News on Mar. 29, 2018