Joy Lane Thomas, a longtime resident of McComb and former Enterprise-Journal woman's editor in the 1950s and 1960s, died April 10, 2017, in Brookhaven, MS. A graveside memorial service will be in Hollywood Cemetery at 4:00 P M, Thursday, April 13, 2017. Sharkey Funeral Home of Summit is in charge of arrangements. Mrs. Thomas was born June 22, 1915, in McComb, the daughter of Chevis Forrest Lane and Bertie Criscoe Lane. She was a longtime correspondent for the New Orleans Times-Picayune, the Jackson Daily News and the Jackson State Times. She won numerous awards from the Mississippi Press Women's Association, of which she was a member. She was tapped for membership in the Mississippi Delta Chapter of the National League of American Pen Women and sponsored by the late Mary Cain, editor-publisher of the Summit Sun. She was a former newscaster for radio station WHNY in McComb, at which time she was invited to participate on a six-member panel of food editors to judge in the preliminary, first-day selection of best recipes at the National Pillsbury Bakeoff in New York City. During the three-day contest, she made the acquaintance of three celebrities at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel ballroom, where the event was held. They were movie stars Ronald Reagan, Irene Dunn and television star Art Linkletter. Mrs. Thomas served on the McComb Chamber of Commerce Howdycrat Board, a civic group of six women who worked diligently to create activities for newcomers to the city and charter and coordinate social and civic clubs for them. Among them was the McComb Garden Club, which was organized with 355 charter members and maintained an average attendance of 150 active members. She was instrumental in coordinating the first original Lighted Azalea Trail, with members of Alpha Psi Chapter of Epsilon Sigma Alpha and her co-sponsor of the sorority, the late Mrs. Frank Bridges. Several years later, she had an idea about having an Azalea Ball and approached former Enterprise-Journal editor Oliver Emmerich. The two approached the Junior Auxiliary of McComb to sponsor the ball, which was held in what was then the new Holiday Inn of McComb. Mr. Emmerich was its first king. Active in scouting for many years, Mrs. Thomas was a troop leader for Girl Scouts and Brownies and assisted in organizing summer day camps for Brownies at Percy Quin State Park. She was active in the Pike County Concert Association, American Red Cross and March of Dimes drives and served on the Pike County 4-H advisory council. She was a longtime member of the Parent-Teacher Association with McComb schools and the Parent-Teacher Organization at St. Mary of the Pines in Chatawa. She also was a member of the Tuesday Night Bridge Club. In 1964, Mrs. Thomas moved to the Northwest, where she worked in Yellowstone National Park on seven-month contracts for 22 years. She was a news and feature writer for the Yellowstone Cub newspaper staff and worked in the reservations department at Old Faithful Village. She was a member of the Volunteers of Yellowstone Park and worked with the park ranger's hiking trails maintenance crews. When the park closed for winter seasons, she transferred to other winter season national parks. She spent eight academic years as a sorority house director at Montana State University and the University of Illinois. At MSU, she volunteered as a hostess at the Museum of the Rockies. At UI, her volunteer service was hosting the campus YMCA Coffeehouse for international students. Prior to her retirement, she spent five years on a cattle ranch in the foothills of the Rockies, near Helena, Montana, where she was a correspondent for the Montana State Senior News. She retired to Erie, Penn., to be near family members. She was a member of the Episcopal Church and the Christian Ministry of the National Parks. Should anyone desire, memorials would be appreciated to the Episcopal Church of the Mediator in McComb, to the Middle Mississippi Girl Scout Council in Jackson, or to the Christian Ministry of the National Parks, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Survivors include two daughters, Lou Schellhammer of McComb, MS and Joy Alexander of McComb; 7 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren and 15 great great grandchildren.