MIDLAND - Rebecca Dawne Thames, 87, passed peacefully on June 12, 2026 at her residence in Midland. Affectionately known as Dawne, she was born in Sherman, on Nov. 16, 1938 to Bill and Mabel Franz.
Dawne was preceded in death by her loving husband Bill Thames in 1987.
She is survived by her son John Campbell of Rogers, Arkansas; her daughter and son-in-law Rebecca Campbell and Dawson Burns; granddaughters Katherine, Madeleine, and Elizabeth Burns, all of Tarzan. She is also survived by her sister and brother-in-law Bonnie and Randy Sanders of Houston, and her nephew and his wife, Brian and Vicki Sanders of Allen, Texas, and their daughters Sierra and Sophia. Dawne was a lifelong learner with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge, and a passion for teaching. She studied piano and organ performance at Texas A&I University in Kingsville and established a successful private piano studio in Three Rivers, and again in Midland. Dawne was also a gifted organist, and she played for church services for many years and for a diverse range of denominations, including Presbyterian, Methodist, and Lutheran services.
Dawne had a passion for collecting and studying minerals and rocks and sharing her collection with loved ones. Alifelong artist, she loved creating pieces in pastels and pencil. She was also a gifted knitter, creating everything from afghans to dishcloths for family and friends. She was well known for her green thumb and had a dazzling variety of plants. A voracious reader, her library represents a wide array of interests from history and philosophy to quantum healing.
Dawne was also known by her community as a longtime survivor of a terminal cancer, as she would go on to live an additional twenty-seven years beyond her diagnosis. She considered it her most significant contribution to give encouragement to those around her battling serious illnesses or other hardships.
Her greatest joy was reserved for her children and grandchildren, whom she always showered with love and encouragement, and for her loving caregivers and neighbors who made her last years possible. She was a humanist who believed that everything is connected through the power of God, and that we have a moral obligation to care for one another and our planet.
Services were June 19, at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home Chapel in Midland, TX.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donating to The Breast Center of Midland or a charity of your choice.
Arrangements were under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory of Midland.