SOUTHPORT — On September 17, 1957, the gold was surpassed for the most precious thing Fort Knox ever protected when Stephanie Paige Devers Thomas, with her unmistakable bright emerald eyes and the voice of angel, entered the world. She was born to Scott and Billie Devers of Louisville, Kentucky.
Stephanie lived in many cities and states throughout the Southeast, collecting experiences, friendships, and stories wherever she traveled. Yet Louisville, and her childhood home on Sylvatica Court, remained the place she cherished most. There, she was raised alongside her big brothers, Arvin and Bruce Devers, and her little sister, Alycia Hill (née Devers). Sylvatica Court was where she brought her husband, Rex Thomas, to meet her family, and where she returned a few years after Rex preceded her in death.
Wherever she lived, Stephanie was a teacher. From 1982 until her retirement in 2024, she poured herself into classrooms across the Southeast, shaping young lives with passion, creativity, and unmistakable presence. She was deeply loved by her students and respected by her coworkers. Teaching was not simply her profession. It was one of the many ways she changed lives.
In 2024, Stephanie moved back to Boiling Spring Lakes, North Carolina to live with her eldest daughter. She was able to spend that time with her daughters, sons-in-law, and eight grandchildren – all of whom she was was extremely proud. She found joy in gardening, diamond art, and teaching her grandchildren, continuing her lifelong calling in the ways that mattered most.
Even through trials and loss, Stephanie lived with a strength and hope she believed came only from her Savior, Jesus Christ.
Through it all, she was fire in the dark and radiant in the light.
Stephanie Devers Thomas will be remembered not simply for the years she lived, but for how fully and vividly she lived them. Her legacy lives on in her daughters and siblings and grandchildren, in the countless lives she shaped, and in stories that refuse to fade.
She exited the world as she had walked through it, held in the arms of loved ones and with the hope of Heaven calling her to her eternal home.
In keeping with her wishes, no public services will be held.
Online condolences are encouraged and may be sent to the family here.
