Carol Estep Thomas

Carol Elizabeth Estep Thomas, 80, of Abingdon, Virginia, died Monday, September 21, 2026, at Bristol Regional Medical Center, following complications from a stroke. 

Carol was born February 23, 1946, in Marion, Virginia, to Lanson Eugene Estep and Clara Nell White Estep. She grew up there, along with her brothers and sister, and graduated from Marion Senior High School in 1965. She spent most of her life in Southwest Virginia, though she always dreamed of leaving small-town life behind.

A neighbor recently described her as a "tough softy," which about covers it. She could have a gruff exterior at times, but those who knew her well found her honest, understanding, and deeply caring. She always sided with the troubled, the downtrodden, and the outcast, especially children and animals, who she knew relied on others for protection. She wasn't religious, but she lived WWJD better than many people with the bumper sticker.

In the early 1970s, she worked as a counselor at the Blue Ridge Job Corps Center in Marion, a residential program helping young women finish their education, train for careers, and get their lives back on track. The work meant a great deal to her and inspired her to go back to school. Later in the '70s, while working as a telephone operator for United Inter-Mountain Telephone Company in Wytheville, she earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from Virginia Intermont College. 

That degree came in handy in a different way during her many years waiting tables, first at Steak and Ale and then Red Lobster in Roanoke, and eventually at The Martha Washington Inn in Abingdon. At every one, regulars made a point of asking to be seated in her section. She never retired; at 80, she was still working, most recently at the Quality Inn in Abingdon. 

Carol was preceded in death by her parents and her siblings, James Lanson Estep, Robert Lloyd Estep, Philip White Estep, and Sue Ann Estep Morris.

She is survived by her son, Philip E. Thomas; her sisters-in-law, Elizabeth Werth Estep and Sairung Estep; her nieces and nephews, Jimmie Lee Estep, Laura Estep Liseno, John Jack Estep, Jimmy John Estep, and Sai Estep; and her beloved cat, Boo, who will be left in good hands.

At her request, there will be no funeral, memorial, or graveside services. She said she would only want a service if it could include piped-in bakery smells and Barbra Streisand singing her into the great beyond. Ms. Streisand proved unavailable. She will be cremated, and her ashes will be scattered in California, where she always felt she belonged. Arrangements are by Farris Funeral Service, Abingdon, Virginia. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Animal Defense League of Washington County, P.O. Box 2099, Abingdon, VA 24212. Online contributions may be made by visiting www.adlwashcova.org.