Arthur W. "Tommy" Thompson passed away on July 1, 2011, at Mertens House in Woodstock , Vermont, in his 100th year.
Tommy was born in Berkeley, California on March 11, 1912, to Frank B. Thompson and Helen Bradford. He grew up in Massachusetts and graduated from Newton high school in 1930. Tommy spent several summers storing fond memories on the Isle of Shoals off the coast of Maine. He graduated from the University of Virginia in 1935 with an accounting degree and was married to his first wife Anabel shortly thereafter.
When World War II arrived, Tommy joined the Navy and trained at Princeton, New Jersey to become a gunnery training officer, specializing in 40mm ship's guns. He was stationed in Australia near Brisbane in 1943-44. At the conclusion of the war, Tommy and Anabel lived in Maryland before returning to Massachusetts, where Tommy began a long accounting career with H.P. Hood, Inc. Tommy and Anabel adopted a beautiful daughter, Jeanne, and lived many years in Reading, Mass.
After Anabel's death in the late 1960's, Tommy met a recently widowed Kathryn "Kay" Jerman on a safari trip in Africa. They were married in 1971, and shortly thereafter moved to Roosevelt Island in New York City, where they lived happily for over 35 years. In retirement, Tommy worked for Conran's, a large British department store, and enjoyed volunteering with Kay at the Bronx Zoo.
Tommy was predeceased by Kay in 2006. They had moved to Woodstock, Vermont to be near Kay's children. He was also pre-deceased by a brother, Alan Thompson, and a sister, Beth Grimshaw. Tommy is survived by his daughter Jeanne Chase (Bruce) of Meriden, Conn., grandchildren Cheryl Dudas (Roman) of Cromwell, Conn., Scott Mansur (Leslie and daughter Natalie Rose) and Tim Lefevre of Meriden, Conn., stepsons Dan Jerman (Shelley Simpson Jerman, children Ryan, Michael, Caitlin, and Alison) of Hartland and Tim Jerman (Theresa Utton-Jerman, children Kate, Jenna, Trevor) of Essex Junction. The family would like to thank the entire staff of Mertens house in Woodstock for several years of loving and caring support for Tommy.