Thurlene Joyce “T.J.” DeVilbiss, 84, of Sulphur, La., entered her heavenly home on Aug. 31, 2024.

She was born in Sabetha, Kan., in 1939 to Alvin and Minnie Bauman. T.J. attended Sabetha High School and graduated in 1957.

In 1964, she married Leo Charles “Dev” DeVilbiss. Although they later divorced, T.J. and Dev had four children. They lived in California, Beaumont, Texas; Topeka, Kan.; Glenwood Springs, New Castle; Fort Collins, Colo.; and Roanoke, La., before finally settling in the Sulphur, La. area. During this period, they also served a brief time as foster parents.

T.J. began work at PPG Industries in Westlake, La., in 1976 and retired in 2004; she is believed to be the first woman to work as an operator at that plant. She was an active member of Machinist Union Local 470. During these years, she also developed side businesses, including an Amway enterprise and a lawn care business with an extensive and loyal clientele. After retiring from PPG, she opened T.J.’s Quick Lube in Sulphur, La., in 2005 and operated it as the sole proprietor until selling it in 2020.

Outside of work, she supported her children’s academic and social activities, taking particularly active roles in the Calcasieu Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, the Sulphur High School Band of Pride, and Trinity Lutheran Church in Sulphur.

T.J. was preceded in death by her parents; one brother, Arwin Bauman; and sister-in-law, Karen Bauman.

She is survived by her four children and their spouses; son, Nathan and his wife Lori; son, Dallas and his wife Kim; daughter, Mona and her husband Tim; and son, Phillip and his wife Jennifer; nine grandchildren, Willamena, Alejandra, Anastasia, Leigha, Haden, Graham, Samuel, Katie, and Trinity; and four great-grandchildren, Amari, Leo, Ember, and Rowan. Also surviving are brother Alvin “Bud” Bauman Jr. and his wife Ursula; sister-in-law, Loretta Bauman; sister, Marlene Hightower and her husband Ray; brother, Dale Bauman; brother, Galen Bauman and his wife Karen; brother, Gene Bauman and his wife Mary; and sister, Janet Hoyer.

The family will receive friends on Sept. 4, 2024, in the chapel of Lakeside Funeral Home from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m., with the Rev. Charles Miller officiating. Ms. DeVilbiss will be buried alongside her parents in Sabetha Cemetery in Sabetha, Kan.

In lieu of flowers, her children request that any memorials be directed to charities that express God’s enduring love and concern for His children on Earth.