Hoyalene Parramore Thomas

Hoyalene Parramore Thomas, 80, of Fort McCoy, Florida, passed away on May 7, 2025, at home in Fort McCoy, Florida.

Hoyalene was born on March 12, 1945 at Munroe Regional Medical Center in Ocala, Marion County, Florida to George Van Parramore and Laura Blanche (Priest). Hoyalene was married to Kendall Richard Thomas for thirty-three years when he predeceased her in 2000. She is survived by her two daughters, Vanessa (Craig) Thomas-Mikesell of Fort McCoy and Brandi (Richard) Jordan of Citra and her step-daughter, Kimberly (Charles) Waler of Fort Lauderdale, FL, and her child Kayla (Mattheos) Lozier and her step-son, Troy (Karin) Brown of Fort Lauderdale, FL and his children Hunter (Ashlynn) Brown and Karly (Kevin) Davila.

She is survived by her sister Vanette (John) Smith of Ocala and her first cousins Winston Steven Priest of Tokyo Japan and Laura Lou Priest of Belleview. Her half brother, Fitzhugh Parramore predeceased her. She is survived by her long-time significant other Nicholas John Tomey. She is survived by her grandson Nathan Wyatt Jordan of Fort McCoy, granddaughter Caitlin Lera (Chris) Arce of Ocala and a great-granddaughter Charlotte Magali Arce of Ocala. She is survived by her “bonus” kids who she loved as her own, Michael Allison Winters - her cousin, Christopher R. Bell, Kathrine Jakob, and Chance Jason (Laurene) Smith - her nephew and his son Darryl Smith. She is also survived by her nephew Barclay Van Smith and his children Taylor Ann Smith, Riley Love Smith, Bowden Antonio Smith, Kirby Lane Smith, and Briston Raymond Smith and, her nephew Austin William (Kelly) Smith and his son Landon Carter Smith, her nephew John Jacob Smith and his children Brody Smith and Hudson Smith, her niece Teresa (Scott) Wurster and her children Aaron Jay “AJ” Strom, II, Arnold John “Jack” Strom, III and Lula Kay Strom, her niece Tammy (Ken) Michal of Live Oak, FL and her children Lauren Wainwright and Lindsay (Jay) Malone, and her niece Heather (Zachary) Kincaid and her three sons, and her nephew Richard (Jennifer) Rousseau and his two daughters and son.

Hoyalene was a sixth generation Marion Countian and strongly connected to her roots in Fort McCoy and Marion County. She attended Fort McCoy School from first to eleventh grade and graduated from Ocala High School. She was a letterman in basketball, softball and volleyball and was a cheerleader from junior high through eleventh grade as a Fort McCoy School “Pirate”. She was an incredible seamstress and clothing designer creating beautiful evening gowns and women’s equestrian show attire.

She excelled in school receiving a scholarship to the College of Central Florida. She was always interested in art, fashion design, history and genealogy. She loved the Ocklawaha River - swimming, fishing and painting scenes of the river and its wildlife. She made clothes for her daughters and taught them to sew. She taught other kids how to sew as well through her involvement as a 4-H Leader for the “Real McCoys” 4-H Club in Fort McCoy for over a decade. She was a tee ball coach for the Fort McCoy Lions Club sponsored team, served on the Fort McCoy Cemetery Association for forty-five years until her death, and formed the Fort McCoy Civic Association serving as an officer until her death.

She loved local history and was determined to preserve it. She was a mainstay for the Fort McCoy community and through her efforts with others the red brick school building has remained a community use building, a landfill was not sited in Fort McCoy, forgotten cemeteries were reclaimed, money was raised through the PTA in the 1970's so that the old Fort McCoy Elementary School had air conditioning installed in all of its classrooms (portables at the time), and a new Fort McCoy School was built to educate the community children from kindergarten through eighth grade. She was a self-taught genealogist and tirelessly researched the lineage of several Marion County pioneer families whose family trees and supporting documents/references can be found in the Marion County Museum of History and Archaeology’s Archives. She compiled an extensive research library of Priest and Parramore genealogical records, wrote a Quarterly called the “Parramore Days & Ways” which was published nationally, and was charter member of the Marion County Genealogical Society serving as the editor for three years of its Quarterly called “Past Times”.

She was a charter member of the William Mullins Colony of the Society of Mayflower Descendants, a member of the State Society of Mayflower Descendants and a member of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants through her ancestor Degory Priest who came to the New World on the Mayflower in 1620. She was a past member and officer of the General Robert Bullock Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy gaining membership through her ancestor James Henry Parramore; a past member of the Ocala Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution gaining membership through her ancestor Gabriel Priest; a member of the Marion County Historical Commission for sixteen years; and a member of the Marion County Historical Association and Trustee of the Marion County Museum of History and Archaeology for several decades until her death.

Hoyalene was always willing to share her knowledge of local history and family lineages with anyone interested. She loved to talk about the way things were before the barge canal project came along and “ruined” the Ocklawaha River. She loved everything Fort McCoy. She was excellent at passing down the stories of the past to the future history keepers. She will be missed greatly by all who knew her.

There will be a viewing from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 15, 2025 and a funeral service at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 16, 2025 at Countryside Funeral Home located at 9185 NE 21st Avenue, Anthony, FL 32617. Hoyalene will be interred at the Fort McCoy Cemetery following service.