(From William Pratney, Winkie’s son) Hi everyone. My mom asked me to let everyone know that her mum (Eileen Rees-Thomas) passed away just a few days ago, at her nursing home in Wairau Park, New Zealand. She was a blessing to hundreds of people, and shared Christ’s love everywhere she went. She died at around 7:00AM, on Friday, February 12. Fae thought it important to let the world know about her mother’s passing to both let people know what she’s going through and so that those whose lives had been affected by Eileen/blessed by her would be informed. Grandma, you will be missed! The following are a couple of email send-outs from some of Fae’s brothers:

From David Rees-Thomas, Fae’s oldest brother and founding pastor of Calvary Community Church in Kona, Hawaii (www.lighthouse4kona.org):

Aloha!

Just to let you know that my Mother passed away this morning in Auckland, New Zealand! Joyous moment for Heaven and blessed release for our father and family. It had been a long seven years as she progressively battled the darkening shadows of dementia.

Eileen Rees-Thomas was indeed a woman of faith that touched the lives of literally thousands of people. It was in the common place of life that she ministered the most effectively. The fear of man was not a part of her vocabulary. She loved God with a passion and walked with Him simply but devotedly.

She never went to high school but learned the realities of life through her pursuit of God which impacted her in everything that she did. Like all of us she was a flawed and broken woman but somehow through her limitations flowed the life changing power of her Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Her single passion in life was to introduce people to her Lord. She was a woman of prayer that loved the scriptures and translated them into ministering the healing power of Christ wherever she went.

Her love for Christ did not confine her to a rigid mode of dull christianity. She loved color. She dressed smartly with matching accessories which highlighted her effervescing personality. You could not miss my mother!!

Mom always had an open hand and heart. Only heaven itself will tell the full story of all that she did for her Master that she dearly loved in giving to others.

Thanking the Lord for a mother that was “sold out” for God in everything that she did.

Thankful for a God of hope!

David Rees-Thomas
Hawaii.

I include my brother’s letter for further insight as to this remarkable woman-my/our mother!!!!!!

Details concerning the memorial service are still pending

From Anthony Rees-Thomas:

Hi everone!

My mother passed away peacefully this morning at 7:00 AM Auckland (New Zealand) time. Yesterday my Dad and my sister Fae visited her for the last time in the nursing home, prayed over her, sang hymns to her and encouraged her to let go, to release herself into the arms of Jesus. Fae said she really felt led to pray certain things over mom. Mom couldn’t speak really, but her eyes glistened with light as she listened. At one point she became alert, looked at my dad and whispered,
“I love you,” after which she drifted into partial consciousness.

Eileen Croft Rees-Thomas was a real woman of prayer and she listened intently to the voice of the Lord daily as she sought him on her knees with her Bible laid out before her. Every day before she lost her memory she prayed for each member of her family, each child, each grandchild. I am deeply grateful for the legacy of the simple and abiding faith she had in the Savior and the impartation of that gift she left with the thousands of people she ministered to everywhere she went and that same example she left to each of her children. Thank you, Mom. We’re missing you already.

Today Dad sounds very weak and bewildered. When I talked to Dad and Fae a little while ago, we both prayed for the out-pouring of God’s peace on him through the comfort of the Holy Spirit and … the Lord will do just that.

Blessings,

Anthony Rees-Thomas
Burbank, CA