Dr. Debby Shuman Thompson, age 74, of Vidalia, died Friday, March 1, 2024, after an extended illness. She was a native of Toombs County and lived in Vidalia most of her life. She was a 1967 graduate of Vidalia High School. She was a graduate of Tift College in Forsyth, earning a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education, and later earned a master’s degree and six year education specialist, both in Administrative Supervision from Georgia Southern College in Statesboro. She earned a PhD in Vocational Leadership from Georgia State College in Atlanta. She began her teaching career at J.D. Dickerson, teaching Kindergarten and second grade. She retired in 2011, after nineteen years from Southeastern Technical Institute in Vidalia and during her career was Director of Financial Aid, Job Placement, and Adult Literacy. She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Vidalia and the Pairs and Spares Sunday School Class. Debby enjoyed scrapbooking, traveling, spending time at Lake Sinclair, attending religious retreats, and spending time with her husband, children, grandchildren, and her dog Freckles. She is preceded in death by her parents, Felton E. Shuman and Mary Williamson Shuman; and a sister, Phyllis Shuman Bowen.
Her family includes her husband of fifty-one years, Robbie Thompson of Vidalia; two children, Julie Williams English and Justin Ehrecke of Atlanta, and Les Thompson and wife Meredith; two grandchildren, Andrew Thompson and Eliza Thompson, all of Smyrna; one sister, Sherry Shuman Taylor and husband Roy of Mt. Vernon; brother-in-law, Danny Bowen and wife Vickie of Lyons; two sisters-in-law, Carol Gene Hall of Tennessee, and Kay Brown and husband Davey of Dublin; several nieces and nephews, and special friend and caregiver, Darlene Foskey.
The funeral service will be Monday afternoon, March 4th, at 3:00 in the chapel of Ronald V. Hall Funeral Home with Reverend Don Moye officiating. Burial will follow at Pine Crest Cemetery.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Monday afternoon from 1:30 until just prior to the service.
Flowers are accepted, or memorial contributions may be made to the Sweet Onion Animal Protection Society, PO Box 210, Vidalia, GA 3045.
Ronald V. Hall Funeral Home of Vidalia is in charge of arrangements.
