Tamara (McCraney) Thorne

     Today we are rejoicing in the life of Tamara McCraney Thorne. She was born on September 3, 1969, in Fort Walton Beach, Florida to CB and Darlene McCraney and passed on December 31, 2021 after an extended battle with cancer.
She is preceded in death by her mother, Darlene McCraney, and her grandparents, Viola and Robert Phelps, and Charles F. and Vivian McCraney.
     She leaves behind her husband, Robert Thorne, father, CB McCraney, daughters; Cori Bassett (Rick Bassett) and Taylor Echols (Alex Echols), and granddaughter Blakely Grace Echols. Along with aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews, she also leaves behind countless individuals whose lives she impacted and brightened. She was unlike any other and never met a stranger. She found something to connect with in each person she came across and always saw the positive in every situation, never losing her faith.
     She spent her childhood and early adulthood between the white sandy beaches of Destin and the backroads of Valdosta, Georgia. While in Florida, she met Robert and they soon fell in love and were married on May 8, 1994. Together, they built a life full of love and laughter, bringing their two daughters into the world soon after.
     Tamara spent many days on the ball field where she was always her girls’ number one fan, spending many weekends traveling for tournaments and cheering on her girls. Her support and pride in her girls was evident in everything they did. Her adventures continued when the family moved to Prattville, Alabama. It was here where Tamara discovered her love of teaching. When she moved back to Florida, she began teaching at Lewis and fell in love with everything about the school, its students, and her coworkers who quickly became family. For years, she devoted her life to making a difference for her students and worked tirelessly to create an environment where they were seen, loved and given every opportunity for success.
     She enjoyed sunsets and loved to sit on the beach on an early weekend morning. She loved watching hurricanes roll in off the Gulf of Mexico. She recognized the importance of family and held her family in the highest regard. She loved her dogs and would never hesitate to help other animals whenever and wherever she could. There will never be another like her and we will all miss her terribly, but we are all better for having known her, if even for too short a time. To know her was to love her.
2 Timothy 4:7-8
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."
     Visitation will be at Heritage Gardens in Niceville, Florida on Friday, January 14, 2022, from 4-7PM.
   We will be having a Celebration of Life the following afternoon, Saturday, January 15th, starting at 3PM. This will be at 4095 Big Buck Trail, Crestview, Florida 32539.

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