Mrs. Shelia Franklin Thomas Obituary (1950

Mrs. Shelia Franklin Thomas, 71, of Summerville, South Carolina entered into eternal rest Wednesday, November 24, 2021. Shelia Franklin Thomas was born August 9th, 1950 in New Orleans, Louisiana to the late Irvin Joseph Franklin, Sr. and Margaret Southall Franklin. She was fourth of five children: Irvina Mayner, Irvin J. Franklin Jr., and was preceded in death by her sister Margaret Hoard and brother Mervin Franklin. Shelia was educated in the public school system in New Orleans. She graduated from Dillard University with a BA in Math Education and earned her Master's degree from the University of South Florida, Tampa. After completing her Master's Degree, she joined the Peace Corps and spent two years teaching Math in the northern Ghanian town of Yendi. While traveling the back roads of Ghana, she met the Deputy Chief of Mission of American Embassy Accra. As a result of this chance meeting, she became interested in joining the US Foreign Service. After completing her tour of duty with the Peace Corps, she returned to New Orleans and taught in the public school system there for one year. In 1976 she reached her dream of becoming a Foreign Service Officer. After a training period in Washington DC, she proceeded to her first assignment in Tunis, Tunisia, followed by a tour in Amman, Jordan. In 1978 while on Home Leave in Washington, DC, Shelia met Mr. Ben Thomas. They were wed in 1982 and have three children: Ben Jr., Lauren, and Leilani. Shelia considered her family to be her greatest accomplishment. Over the course of the next twenty years, Shelia was assigned to the American Embassy of Ivory Coast, Haiti, Cameroon, Ecuador, and Egypt before being transferred to and settling down in Charleston, South Carolina. During her 31 years of service to the U.S. Department of State, Shelia had many accomplishments. In 1977, she helped in the transfer of the Foreign Service Institute Arabic Language School from Beirut to Tunis. In 1987, she ensured that families evacuated from Haiti were financially secure and from 2002 - 2006, Shelia served as the Director of Foreign Service National Payroll at the Global Financial Service Center in Charleston, SC. Her years at the Department of State were full of experiences she cherished. In addition to her commitment to the Department of State, Shelia's years in South Carolina were filled with faith, community, and family. She joined Wesley United Methodist Church, located in Ladson, where she faithfully served on the Stewardship Board, as a financial secretary, and as a member of the United Methodist Women further supporting the ministry by participating in the Love Circle: celebrating birthdays and other memorable occasions. Shelia was a chartered member of Charleston Chapter of Chums, a national non-profit organization that promotes civic, cultural, educational, and social improvement, which allowed her to continue her service and support of the Charleston community. By her activism both in the church and Chums, Shelia devoted many hours developing programs that enriched the lives of children. Shelia's kindness and consideration of others were evident in all of her interactions. Her joy, quick wit, and sense of humor were appreciated by both her friends and family. Shelia was loved and will be missed. She is survived by her loving husband, Ben J. Thomas Sr.; children: Ben J. Thomas Jr., Lauren A. Thomas, and Leilani A. Thomas; stepchildren Ramona K. Robertson and Craig Joseph Thomas; her siblings, and a host of nieces, nephews, relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ervin J. Franklin Sr., and Margaret S. Franklin. In lieu of flowers, please make monetary donations to Wesley United Methodist Church, 3242 Ladson Road, Ladson, SC 29456. .