Thomas S. Thompson

HOLDEN – Thomas Stanley Thompson, 88, of 11B Flagler Drive, died Friday, February 9, 2007 at Autumn Village in Worcester. Tom, the beloved son of the late John and Eliza (Crotty) Thompson, was born on February 12, 1918 in Montreal, Canada. He has been reunited with Mary Giblan, his beloved wife of 43 years who predeceased him in 1988. He is survived by his daughters and sons-in-law, Mary and Vincent Naro of Westfield, Elizabeth and Homer Walker of Holden and Joan and Peter Levinson of Stamford, CT; niece and “fourth daughter,” Margaret McHugh Pantoja and her husband, Joseph of Hebron, CT; a nephew and godson, Patrick J. McHugh of Deltona, FL. Tom was proud of and dearly loved his grandsons, Anthony Naro, Thomas Naro, Ben Walker and John Walker. He also leaves his sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Margaret McHugh, Kathleen and Francis (Pat) Ford and Michael Power; many nieces and nephews; and special friends, Bill and Kathleen Kelly of Holden. He was predeceased by his brothers, Joseph and Kenneth, and his sister, Dorothy.

Tom, who grew up in Brooklyn, New York, juggled school and work throughout his childhood to help his mother make ends meet during the Depression. He hawked newspapers on street corners, sold peanuts in nearby Ebbets Field while watching his beloved Brooklyn Dodgers play, and worked as a copyboy at the New York Daily News, among other jobs. He attended St. Francis Prep on a football scholarship and St. John’s University for a year, while working nights in the Federal Reserve Bank in New York City where he met Mary. He served his country in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II and was honorably discharged in 1943 as a storekeeper, third class. Tom’s career in sales and claims investigation in the trucking industry took him from New York to New England where in settled his family in Manchester, CT, his home for nearly 40 years. He moved to Holden in 2001.

Tom seldom missed Sunday Mass at St. Mary’s Church, followed by “pancakes as big as the plate” at KP’s Restaurant. He was a familiar sight in Holden where he took several walks a day from Checkerberry Village to Main St., proudly wearing his Red Sox jacket and stopping at Friendly’s every afternoon for a half cup of coffee. Tom became a devoted Red Sox fan after the Brooklyn Dodgers broke his heart by moving to Los Angeles in 1958. Seeing the Red Sox win their first World Series in 86 years during his 86th year was the highlight of his later life.

Tom loved his wife and his family deeply. In lieu of flowers, his family asks that gifts in his memory be made to the Gale Free Library, 23 Highland St., Holden, MA 01520. His family wishes to thank Dr. John Trudel and the other Fallon medical staff who took excellent, respectful care of him. Also, Tom’s family offers a special thank-you to Beverly at The Heather Shop, Val and Lorraine at Val’s Restaurant, Nina at Horace’s Barbershop and Eleanor at Commerce Bank for their unfailing kindness and patience. Tom’s family is grateful to the welcoming and caring community at Checkerberry Village, where friendships, Wednesday coffees and holiday parties made his last years so enjoyable. Finally, the family offers a heartfelt thank you to the extraordinarily compassionate staff at Autumn Village, especially in the Gateway Unit, and VNA hospice. Their kindness, good humor and exceptional professional care guided Tom through his final months with great dignity and love.

The funeral for Tom will be held on Saturday, February 17, from the Miles Funeral Home, 1158 Main St., Holden, with a Mass at 11 a.m. in St. Mary’s Church, 114 Princeton St., Jefferson. Burial will be private in St. Bridget Cemetery, Manchester, CT. Calling hours are from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, February 16, in the funeral home. www.milesfuneralhome.com