Carol Anne Melnychuck Thomas, 76, Atchison, KS, passed away peacefully on Monday, January 20, 2020 at Mosaic Hospital in St. Joseph, MO with loved ones by her side. 

Rosary service will be 6:30 PM, Tuesday, January 28, 2020 at Arensberg-Pruett Funeral Home, Atchison, KS.  Funeral service will be 10:00 AM, Wednesday, January 29, 2020 at St. Joseph’s Church and burial will follow at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Atchison, KS.  Online condolences may be left at www.arensbergpruett.com

Carol A.Thomas was born Carol Anne Melnychuck on September 22, 1943 in Camden, NJ.  Her parents were Joseph Alexander Melnychuck and Nancy Simone Melnychuck.  She was the oldest of three children, Joseph Alexander Melnychuck II and Mary Lola Melnychuck Meloni.  She attended and graduated from Holy Cross High School in 1961, an all-girl Catholic school in Delran, NJ.

Immediately following high school, Carol considered seriously a life of service to the Lord.  From 1961-1964, she followed her calling to Syracuse, NY.  There she lived, worked, and studied with the Sisters of St. Francis, a Franciscan Mother House Convent.  She took the name of Sister Mary Renee Agnese; she was a Novice.  While there she earned an Associates Degree in Theology.  She departed two months prior to taking her vow of Holy Orders.  She remained a devout Catholic her entire life.

From 1965 to 1971 she moved to New Mexico and then to Atchison, KS, where she gave birth to three boys – Leo, Sean, and Stephen Mahoney.  During the 1970s-1990s, Carol worked diligently to provide for her three sons.  Most notably as an employee for the State of Kansas Social Rehabilitative Services (SRS) from where she retired in 1997.  Along the way, she worked two jobs to support her family and also attended night school, earning another Associates Degree in Sociology. 

In 1978, she met the love of her life, Larry J. Thomas.  They married in 1982 and enjoyed a happy, loving, and prosperous marriage for over 37 years until her last day.  During the course of Carol’s life she enjoyed organized women’s softball, playing the card-game Bridge with her Atchison girlfriends, fishing and camping with her husband Larry, as well as tending to their many dogs over the years.  She was a dedicated wife, mother, and friend to many.  She was a member of St. Joseph’s Parish in Atchison, and volunteered many hours to the church and other countless charities.

Carol is survived by her husband, Larry J. Thomas, Atchison, KS; her mother, Nancy Melnychuck, Haddonfield, NJ; her sister Mary L. Melnychuck Meloni and spouse Ferdinand Meloni, Clarksboro, NJ; her two sons, Leo J. Mahoney IV and spouse Daniela Mahoney, Manassas Park, VA; Stephen Z. Mahoney, Los Angeles, CA; five grandchildren, Leo J. Mahoney V, Manassas Park, VA; Sean A. Mahoney II, Liberty, MO; Nicholas R. Mahoney, Liberty, MO; Alexander Mahoney, Sacramento, CA; Jessica Mahoney, Los Angeles, CA; and one great-granddaughter, Carrera D. Mahoney, Liberty, MO; as well as Carol’s many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her father, Joseph A. Melnychuck; a brother, Joseph A. Melnychuck II; and her middle son, Sean A. Mahoney.