“She met people wherever they were. And she always treated them the Same, no matter where they were from.… To me, that’s a testament of how she lived her life.”— Denise Forbes
Friends Reflect On Thomas And Her Efforts
By PAYTON TOWNS III
An angels collection sits on the shelves behind Dr. Patsy Hill Thomas’ desk at the Community Mental Health Center of Middle Georgia.
Her co-workers and friends pointed these out and commented on them. There was a brief silence before someone said what they were probably all thinking.
“She was an angel,” said Dr. Thomas Rumble, a medical and clinical director at the center. Thomas died unexpectedly last week while on a cruise with family and friends. Thomas was the long-term Executive Director of the Community Service Board of Middle Georgia and oversaw behavioral health services for 10 counties including Bleckley, Dodge, Johnson, Laurens, Montgomery, Pulaski, Telfair, Treutlen, Wheeler, and Wilcox.
Her funeral service was held at 11 a.m. today at Jefferson Street Baptist church with burial following at Rock Springs Baptist Church.
Thomas graduated from Dublin High School in 1961 and began her career as a secretary at the Laurens County Health Department while going to school part-time at Middle Georgia College, Georgia College and eventually to the University of Georgia where she earned her Doctorate in Education.
“Patsy Thomas was one of the most brightest and strongest ladies that I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing,” said. Dr. J. Roy Rowland served as an assistant to Thomas and watched her work first hand. “I’ve watched her over time deal with all of the problems here in a very efficient and effective way. She had many personal problems with the loss of her husband and problems going on here, but she dealt with them and never missed a beat. I had seen her sometimes when she looked like she was really down and having difficulty dealing with it, but she always came through.”
Thomas worked her way up from a secretary to someone with authority. Her co-workers believed that helped her be concerned with everybody.
“She had appreciation for the little people because she came up through the ranks, ”Rumble said. “She tried not to step on them even though she had gotten into a position of authority and power. She always kept an eye out for them.”
In 1976, Thomas was hired as the Administrative Services Manager at the Community Mental Health Center of Middle Georgia and was eventually promoted to the position of Executive Director where she remained until her death.
Thomas served on various boards, committees and community projects during her career, but the Community Mental Health Center was her main focus.
She was one of the founding members of the Drug and Alcohol Prevention Advocates, and of the Suicide Prevention Coalition.
Just last March, she received the St. Patrick’s 2011 Woman of the Year award for Dublin/Laurens County.
“She has a long laundry list of accolades,” said Denise Forbes, Deputy Director under Thomas who is now serving as interim director at the center.
“She’s been an advocate for anyone who has found themselves in need. One of the things I’ve seen through the years, is that she was really good to a lot of people from all walks of life. If someone came in and needed something, no matter what it was, she was very giving.” And she didn’t talk about it a lot.
“She wouldn’t go out and brag about it,” Forbes said. “She always had a helping hand to anybody. I think that’s one of the reasons that our staff loved her so much. She met people wherever they were. And she always treated them the same, no matter where they were from. … To me, that’s a testament of how she lived her life.” Thomas had an open door policy for her employees and others.
“She was my boss and friend,” said Kay Avery, secretary and administrative assistant who worked for Thomas for 34 years. “She never tried to screen visitors and telephone calls. She was a very fair person. She always said that her lowest level employee was just as important as her highest level employee.” Avery said Thomas was a visionary. “She always knew who to contact tomake us better,”Avery said.
Thomas played a big part in where the Community Mental Health Center ofMiddle Georgia is today, Rowland said. When land near the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center became available, Thomas jumped on it.
“She moved expeditiously to get that property,” Rowland said. “And with the expansion, she had a vision.”
Rumble said Thomas was a good businesswoman. “All of the buildings on this campus are free and clear at this point because of some of the creative financing arrangements she had made by partnering with local government,” he said.
“Basically, she acquired the property, paid off the loans and now we own all of the buildings at the center. She was always concerned with the center being in good financial shape and I think with her leadership, we’re not rich, but we’re in far better shape than a lot of the other CSBs in this state.”
Dublin Mayor Phil Best, served on the board of the Community Service Board for 12 years and knew Thomas for 30 years. “She was very, very good,” Best said. “She had her clients wellbeing at heart. Patsy was also a very determined person. You’ve heard the old saying “Persistence prevails when all else fails.” I think she wrote that. She was persistent and it was for good things, not bad things. We’re going to miss her a lot.”
County commissioner Tommy Daniel, who served as vice-chair on the board, called Thomas a “wonderful lady.”
“She was an exceptional woman and did a tremendous job with the mental health facility,” Daniel said. “I don’t know how you could say enough about her. All of the clients and everybody liked her. She was a dear friend of mine and was just a fantastic lady. We’re going to miss her. Everyone is going to miss her.”
Every year, a three-day retreat for the CSB directors for the Georgia Association of the Community Service Board has been held in Dublin. “We already had everything arranged,” Avery said. “Denise and I feel like we want to go ahead and do that and hold it in honor of her.”
Added Forbes: “She loved Dublin and Laurens County. Wherever she went she talked about the area she was from and how proud she was of her town and county and how she was proud to be a citizen from here. This center was her extended family. She was happiest I think when she was here.”
A black wreath hung on the door outside the Community Mental Health Center of Middle Georgia in honor of Thomas Monday morning.
“The whole center is in mourning right now,”Avery said.
“I don’t know how we’re functioning at the level that we are.” But that’s what Forbes believes Thomas would expect from them.
“We’re functioning because she would want us to,” Forbes said. “She had great people working for her and we have a great leadership team. She would want us to be about our jobs and taking care of each other and the business of the center.”
The above article is from the Courier Herald - Tuesday January 31, 2012, Volume 98, No. 25, Pub. No 161860
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