Richard Roy Thompson, 78, of Springfield, passed peacefully through the gates of Heaven surrounded by his wife and dear friends at home on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. He was born January 12, 1946 in Iowa City, IA, to Lawrence E. and Sara J. (Stampe) Thompson. On June 20, 1981, he married Kathryn J. Phillips, who survives him.
Rich was a gentle, caring man with a dry sense of humor and twinkle in his clear blue eyes. He was enlisted Air Force veteran who served from 1965-1968. Settling in Springfield after graduate school in New Mexico, he began a career in state government.
The second son of a Presbyterian minister, the church was a life-long part of his spiritual and social life. He and his wife, Kathy, shared that path. He was a former elder, choir member and contributor to the West Side Christian Church.
The extended Thompson and Phillips families were central, too. Christmases found parents and son driving to 10 hours to Minneapolis, where the Thompson clan was.
Thanksgiving meant a trip about the same length to his beloved wife’s family.
Rich’s early knowledge of and savvy about computer programming made a positive decades-long impact on some important functions within the Ill. Dept. of Human Services. He retired in 2004 after 31 years.
Kathy and Rich volunteered for 18 years as part of the “Red Coat” team at Memorial Medical Center as well as many years of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library.
Once Rich was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and the tremors developed in his 60’s, he did everything he could to lessen the impact. Kathy supported him through exercise classes and groups geared to Parkinson’s. Rich stepped way outside his comfort zone and put on boxing gloves, too!
Wife Kathy was by his side through a long decline in his last year, fully honoring their loving 43 year-long marriage with grace and patience.
Also surviving are two sisters, Penny (Rudi) Miller of Grand Junction, CO and Caro Thompson of Walden, VT ; one brother, Paul (Carole) Thompson of New York, NY; six nieces, Valerie Amundson, Susan Phillips, Cheryl Lyle, Allison Kish, Sara Phillips, and Melinda Roedler; seven nephews, Leonard Lee, Ed Lee, Adam Thompson, Theodore Bergfelt, Mark Bergfelt, Eric Bergfelt, and Kenneth Phillips; many cousins and special friends, George and Judy Buck.
He was preceded in death by his parents; son, Daniel N. Thompson and two nephews, Timothy Phillips and Stephen Phillips.
Visitation: 10 am – 12 pm, Friday, May 24, 2024 at West Side Christian Church.
Funeral Service: 12:00 pm, Friday, May 24, 2024 at West Side Christian Church with Mike Harney officiating.
Graveside Service: 10 am, Tuesday, May 28, 2024 at Oak Ridge Cemetery. Military honors will be conducted.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation (Parkinson.org) or West Side Christian Church.
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