MEGAN MARIE THOMAS

BRISTOL — Megan Marie Thomas, age 40, passed away unexpectedly on Nov. 20 at her home in Bristol.

Megan enjoyed aspirational quotes and would frequently post them on her Facebook page. Several weeks ago, she posted this foretelling comment: “What do you think one should do before one dies? Live.”

Megan was in a very active period of pursuing a better life. In recent months, she was seen smiling more than she had in years. Numerous people in the community and at work commented on the return of the smile that we all loved.

A lifelong resident of Bristol, she always worked in public-facing jobs. For over a decade she worked at the Bobcat Café. After she had her twins, she started working at the Lawrence Memorial Library for the next decade, where she became familiar to many local children and their parents. Recently, she made many new friends at Smoke and Lola’s café where she worked as a barista, balancing two jobs while taking care of her kids.

As a child, Megan was an avid reader, and she frequently had her nose in a book or her hand on an art pencil. She was a gifted artist who could easily capture the spirit of someone’s face or a family pet quickly. She was also a free spirit who never cared much about money or things. She always had her own sense of style.

In her late twenties, Megan was diagnosed with MS. Many people never even realized she had the disease. She was strong and tough. She was also very brave, and, in fact, she had a tattoo that spelled out BrAvery. This tattoo had dual meanings: It was a combination of the twins’ names, Brayden and Avery, and it symbolized her perseverance throughout her struggle with MS.

Megan was very devoted to her children and could frequently be seen walking with them throughout Bristol.

Megan is survived by her thirteen-year-old twins, Brayden and Avery; her mother, Sue Folino, and her “Pa,” Dave Folino; her brother Dustin and his fiancée, Amna; and her sister Tasha, and her fiancé, Willie and their daughter Harlow. In addition, she is survived by her paternal grandmother, Norma Thomas, and her maternal grandfather David Lutton and his wife Shari. She was predeceased by her father, Michael Thomas.

A celebration of life will be held on Dec. 8, from 1 to 4 p.m., at the Lawrence Memorial Library in Bristol. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in memoriam to the Lawrence Memorial Library. We also ask that you look out for the twins. They will need a village, and from the outpouring of support we have witnessed, we know that village is Bristol. ◊