Mary Louise Nutter Thomas

Mary Louise Nutter, affectionately known as “Sis,” was born on January 15, 1929, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Bertie and Glenmore Nutter, Sr. She was the second of four children. Her childhood was spent in White Haven on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, where she lived with her grandparents and numerous relatives. Growing up in a farming community, Sis and her siblings helped pick crops and care for the animals on the farm, both before and after attending school.

Sis enjoyed attending school and took great pride in earning good grades. Competitive and athletic, Mary was active in her church, played piano and enjoyed artistic interests. Since she did well in school and often helped her siblings with their schoolwork, she decided to become a teacher. Her enthusiasm for learning and strong sense of responsibility would shape her career as an educator and role model.

Mary graduated from Salisbury High School in 1945 and continued her education at Bowie State, graduating in 1949. While at Bowie, one of her friends, Emmagene Thomas, introduced Mary to one of her brothers, James. They married November 23, 1949, a union producing three children and lasting 74 years until James’ death in 2023.

Mary began her teaching career in 1949 at Fairmount Heights Elementary School in Washington, DC, instructing first graders in a very crowded and segregated school where classes were split between morning and evening sessions. After marrying, Mary Louise Thomas became Louise N. Thomas because there were many teachers named Mary Thomas. Louise moved to Charles County and taught first grade at Holly Springs Elementary from 1950-52 and Bel Alton Elementary from 1952-55, both segregated one room schools where first through sixth grades were taught together in one room. Louise taught at Mount Hope Elementary from 1955-59 and Pomonkey Elementary from 1959-1965. In 1964, schools became integrated and in 1965, Louise became one of the first teachers to integrate Charles County schools. Louise taught at Indian Head Elementary School from 1964-1969 then Gale-Bailey Elementary from 1969-1981, retiring after 32 years of dedicated teaching on July 1, 1981.

Louise created colorful, educational bulletin boards, and designed leadership and critical thinking activities for her students. Each year, she arranged a few field trips, often covering the expenses herself, so all her students could participate. Louise would buy food, clothes and shoes for students in need and always offered after-school tutoring so no one fell behind. Louise always remembered the names of her students, often recalling their family members names too.

Louise would mentor student and new teachers, critiquing their teaching performance, how they could better control the classroom. She would often help them create attractive, functional bulletin boards and design purposeful lesson plans.

After retiring, Louise remained active with crafts such as macramé, painting, driving patients to appointments for the American Cancer Society, fundraising for the American Heart Association. She often lead smoking cessation programs and put people “in jail” for The Great American Smokeout, raising money for the Lung Association. Louise continued to teach, helping adults earn their GEDs, shopping as one of her hobbies and enjoyed time with family and friends.

Louise Nutter Thomas peacefully entered eternal rest on Saturday, January 17, 2026. She is preceded in death by her husband, James E. Thomas, parents, Glenmore and Bertie Nutter, Sr.; brother Glenmore and his wife, Pearl; sister, Nana Alvona Jones and her husband Thomas; and her brother Wilson Nutter. Louise leaves behind her daughter Tyvise Thomas-Moss and husband Michael; son Leslie and wife Gail; and daughter Jana Prado; grandchildren LaMarr and Diallo Queen; Ilia (Jerome Fitchett), Marco (Jazmine), and Tais Prado; Ian, Erica (Robert Wingate-Robinson), Evan (Sarah) and Ariel Thomas; great-grandchildren, a great-great grandchild, in-laws, nieces, nephews, many relatives and many friends.

Thank you all for loving Louise, and may God Bless all of you every day. May Louise rest in peace and her memory be a Blessing.

Friends may visit with the family Thursday, January 29th from 9-10 am in The Chapel of Thornton Funeral Home, 3439 Livingston Road Indian Head, MD until the Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 am at St. Mary's Star of The Sea Catholic Church, 30 Mattingly Avenue, Indian Head, Maryland 20640. Interment immediately to follow at St. Charles Cemetery Indian Head, MD.