Esther Easley Thames

Esther Ann Easley Thames, age 95, of Denton, Texas, died on Mother’s Day, May 10, 2026, surrounded by her grateful children. Esther was born on October 6, 1930, on a farm in Boone County outside Columbia, Missouri, to Edward and Blanche Easley. She had two older brothers, John and Frank Easley, who predeceased her.

She studied at Christian College and the University of Missouri, both in Columbia, Missouri. She then worked for a cartographer in St. Louis, Missouri, before attending Duke University, where she completed a Masters in Political Science.

It was there that she met H. Stanley Thames, a Marine veteran of World War II, who was also studying Political Science. Upon completing graduate studies, they married in Columbia, Missouri, on September 5, 1954. They were married for 59 years.

Stanley’s career teaching politics at university level took them first to the University of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee, and then on to East Central State University in Ada, Oklahoma, where their three children were born. Finally, they moved to Denton Texas in 1963, where Stanley taught at North Texas State University (UNT).

Esther’s life revolved around her faith, her family and her friends. She was a stay-at-home mother who taught Sunday School at First Baptist Church for over 30 years. She was a member of the League of Women Voters and NTSU Faculty Wives. In later years, she did occasional work for the United States Census Bureau and FEMA, and volunteered at Our Daily Bread.

She is survived by daughters Katherine Heather and her husband Mark, of Steyning, England; Rachel Gay and her husband Hunter, of Denton; and son Mark Curtis-Thames and his wife Dawn, of Lewisville, Texas; and also by grandchildren Jonathan Thames of Seattle, Washington; Elizabeth Jantz and her husband Sam, of St. Louis, Missouri; and Lauren and Alyssa Gay, both of Denton.

The funeral will be held at The Chapel at Denton Village, 2500 Hinkle Drive, Denton Texas 76201, Saturday, May 16, at 11:00am. 

Memorial gifts may be made to UNICEF, the United Nations’ International Children’s Emergency Fund, or a children’s charity of your choice.