Betty (Hardin) Thomas was born on August 29, 1933 in Dallas, TX to Avie Lee (Langham) Hardin and Aaron E. Hardin, Sr. and went to be with her Lord and Savior on May 13, 2026. Betty was 92 years old and passed into Heaven from her home of 25 years in Denton, TX after living a full life with her husband of 43 years James Y. (Jim) Thomas, Jr.

Betty joined the church and was baptized at age 8, but she became a true believer and was saved and re-baptized at age 15 at East Tyler Baptist Church in Tyler, TX.

Betty attended Dallas, Chapel Hill and Tyler schools until her graduation from John Tyler HS in 1950.

As a young woman Betty learned the art of floristry while a member of DECCA in HS and continued that artistic bent throughout her whole life; painting, sewing, crocheting, cross stitching, and doing string art. Betty was also an amazing cook and baker, providing delicious meals and baked goods as a ministry to those she served and loved.

Betty met Jim while working at Lindsey and Newsome Insurance Adjusters, in Tyler. Later they moved to Bartlesville, OK with their daughter Pam when Jim went to work for Phillips Petroleum and Betty worked for City Service Oil. Phillips transferred them to Amarillo, TX where Betty worked for Thompson and King Insurance as a bookkeeper until they had their son Jay. Later in life when Jim retired, they moved to Canton, TX where Betty worked as the office manager for the Federal Land Bank for 15 years. After Betty retired, they moved to Lake Kiowa near Callisburg,TX.

After Jim's passing in 2000, Betty moved to Denton, TX to be closer to her family and to be able to help with her grandchildren. She became a volunteer at Denton Regional Hospital, now Medical City Denton where she became volunteer of the year, serving over 1500 hours. It's there that she made so many close friends whom she cherished.

Betty was a member of Southmont Baptist Church in Denton where she served her Sunday school class as secretary for many years, was on the bereavement team, the Love & Action team providing backpacks full of food for food insecure children on the weekends for neighborhood elementary school children and worked tirelessly for the Dress a Girl (DAG) ministry, sewing hundreds of garments provided to underprivileged children across the world. Betty's time with DAG also afforded her many close friends.

Betty was a driving force in her family! She was loved deeply and was always an inspiration of what a true believer in Christ should be, a witness to the awesomeness of God, and the way to Him through belief in Jesus Christ, His son, her Rock and Redeemer.

Betty was preceded in death by her husband, James Y. (Jim) Thomas, Jr.; grandparents, Jesse Robert and Minnie Lee Langham; her parents, Aaron E. Hardin, Sr. and Avie Lee (Langham) Hardin, her brother Aaron E. (Woody) Hardin, Jr.; her beloved aunt, Emma Lou (Langham) Vinson and many other close family and friends.

Betty is survived by her daughter, Pam Hansen of Arlington, TX and son, Kelly (Jay) Thomas and his wife Rhonda of Denton, TX; her grandchildren, Ashley (Hansen) Wooten of Arlington, TX, John Hansen and his wife Kate of Colleyville, TX, Aubri' (Thomas) Johnson and her husband Kirk of Lenoir City, TN, and Olivia Thomas of Fountain City, TN; her great grandchildren, Cade Wooten of Oklahoma City, OK, Tyler Hansen, Astrid Johnson and Oliver Johnson and her cousin Laura (Vinson) Konanz and her husband John of Stockton, CA and other much-loved extended family and many close friends.

A memorial service will be held for Betty at Southmont Baptist Church, 2801 Pennsylvania Drive, Denton, TX 76205 on Saturday, May 30, 2026, at 10:00am. All are welcome.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Betty's memory may be given to Southmont Baptist Church, 2801 Pennsylvania Drive, Denton, TX 76205

Electronic Giving to Southmont: https://www.shelbygiving.com/App/Form/cf702b1f-4b6b-4946-85ad-c766b9f8b1b2