Patsy Jean Dembowski Thompson passed away peacefully in the company of her husband and children on May 30 at Canterfield retirement community in Oak Ridge.
Mrs. Thompson was born on Jan. 31,1933, in her grandmother’s house in Oshkosh, Wis., to Jerome and Irene (Brueske) Dembowski.
She spent her early years in Oshkosh, where she received her elementary education. Later, her family moved to Waubay, S.D., where her family raised mink. She graduated from Waubay High School in 1950.
Following high school, she worked for Bell Telephone in Aberdeen, S.D. She later enrolled at Presentation College School of Nursing and graduated as a registered nurse in 1955. She began her nursing career at her alma mater, St. Luke Hospital in Aberdeen, S.D., and later worked in Minnesota.
During her college years at Presentation School of Nursing, she met the love of her life and lifelong partner, Ed Thompson, who was a student at Northern State University. On Dec. 28, 1955, they were united in marriage at the Catholic church in Mrs. Thompson’s hometown of Waubay, S.D. They were married just seven months short of 70 years.
To this union five children were born: Terri, Tamara, Michael, Lori, and Lisa. The family later expanded to 15 grandchildren and at last count 27 great-grandchildren.
Mrs. Thompson became a Catholic at the time of her marriage in 1955 and belonged to the various Catholic churches in the communities where they resided. She was most recently a member of St. Therese Parish in Clinton. After retirement she lived at Pickerel Lake in Minnesota, Hilton Head Island, S.C., and in Oak Ridge.
She was devoted to her husband and family and enjoyed various activities with her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
She loved music and sang in church choirs, was in a singing group while in nurses training, and later in life was a member of the Mountain Strings, playing both the dulcimer and ukulele. She was also an accomplished seamstress and needle pointer, and an excellent quilter, having made quilts for each of her children and grandchildren.
Mrs. Thompson was preceded in death by her father, mother, sister Nancy, and son-in-law Jonathan Peterson. She is survived by her husband, Ed; daughters Terri (Dave Felde), Tamara (Tim Becker), Lori Peterson, and Lisa Turner; son Michael (Lori); and sister, Carol Rudy.
A funeral Mass for Mrs. Thompson was held at St. Therese Church on June 5. A burial service was held at East Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery in Knoxville on June 6.