Charisse Joy Thomas

Charisse Joy Loosli was born September 18, 1980 in Provo, Utah to Joy and Greg Loosli as the fifth child in a family that would eventually have eleven children. She was an adorable child and a kind and loving older sister, with a contagious laugh, a kind heart, a bright smile, and freckled cheeks.

She was a bright student who particularly excelled in math and reading. She enjoyed choir and singing throughout her life. She was incredibly outgoing and social, and made friends everywhere. She had a gift for seeking out those who had trouble finding friends and making them feel loved and seen, and had no tolerance for people who thought they were better than anyone else or mistreated others.

Charisse was always up for adventure and moved to Virginia when she was 19. On one trip traveling back to Virginia, she met Sterling Thomas, who rescued her from an awkward interaction with other passengers. They began dating shortly thereafter and were married in 2002. They made Virginia their home ever since, moving to several different locations throughout the state for different careers and communities.

Charisse was a loving, devoted mother who took to motherhood easily. Her family was her whole world. She constantly found ways to make life fun for her kids while also meeting their social, intellectual, emotional, and other needs. She was a loving mama bear who would also be their fiercest defender and advocate.

Outside of family life, Charisse had a fulfilling career in education. In particular, she was an excellent teacher and advocate for early childhood education and kids with disabilities. She began working with children with disabilities in high school, and soon became a lead teacher with capabilities beyond her young age. She often worked one on one providing education and specialized care. Later, she became a coordinator and advocate for deaf-blind education in the state of Virginia, contributing to education legislation and policy.

She also worked at the preschool at St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Lake Ridge, VA. She brought her considerable creative talents to her classroom, with arts and crafts, songs, costumes, funny voices, and stories. It’s hard to say who enjoyed Charisse’s antics more - her students or her fellow teachers and staff. She sparked laughter and love across all ages and groups.

Charisse loved the outdoors and wildlife. She went on regular hikes with her family, exploring many different trails, and experiencing them in all seasons. Her favorite vacations were sailing trips in the Caribbean. She and Sterling even purchased a sailboat that they lovingly restored to a seaworthy state. One of her favorite destinations in the DMV area was the National Aquarium in Baltimore with its variety of water life.

Unfortunately, Charisse was diagnosed with cancer at an early age. She fought like a warrior, if the warrior were also silly and joyful and brought happiness to everyone around them amidst their own battles. She made the most of her remaining time on earth, striving to create as many memories with her family as she could. She passed away on Monday, July 14, at the age of 44. She surpassed every expectation of her treatment teams, and we will forever be grateful for the additional weeks and months we spent with her.

Charisse is survived by her loving husband Sterling Thomas; her children Callie, Easton, and Oliver; her parents, Joy and Greg Loosli; 10 siblings: Nicole (Michael) Draper, Kyle (Melissa) Loosli, Erek (Mireille) Loosli, Michelle (Brock) Day, Christy (Brian) Smith, Sean Loosli, Ami (Peter) Larson, Lauren (Joseph) Rowley, Janelle (Marcus) Christensen, Alyssa (Shawn) Meldrum; her mother-in-law and father-in-law, Jackie and Richard Thomas; 57 nieces and nephews, numerous brothers- and sisters-in-law, aunts, uncles and cousins; dozens of members of her chosen family in Virginia; hundreds of ‘her kids’ from the St. Matthew’s Day School; and countless others whose lives she impacted for the better.

The family would like to thank all the friends, family, and loved ones who have shown us so much love, particularly since Charisse’s cancer diagnosis. In particular, we would like to thank the doctors, nurses, and care teams from the Inova Schar Cancer Center for all their work, care, and kindness.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 26 at 11:00 at St Matthew’s Lutheran Church at 12351 All Saints Pl, Woodbridge, Virginia. The service will be available to view online for friends and family elsewhere, with an in-person reception after the service. The school has set up a scholarship in Charisse’s honor; in lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the St Matthew’s Charisse Thomas Memorial Scholarship Fund (https://onrealm.org/StMatthewsVA/-/form/give/now), or the Gan Teva Outdoor Preschool (https://ganteva.org/scholarship).