Thomas A. "Tom" Thompson

Thomas Andrew “Tom” Thompson, 81, of Raleigh was called Home to be with his Savior and Lord on June 7, 2023. Thomas, the youngest of four boys born to John and Margaret Thompson, was of proud of his Norwegian ancestry and treasured his Lutheran heritage.

Thomas was born and raised on the family’s ancestral farm near Mitchell, South Dakota, where he thrived in the small rural community life centered on family, church, and hard work farming cattle and grain. Thomas was well prepared to succeed in life through his early education in a one-room school and small high schools, where he excelled in academics and participated in all the extracurricular activities. He loved to sing, especially in a boy’s trio and an award-winning boys’ octet and continued to perform in choirs and as a soloist throughout his life. Thomas played trombone in the school band and even acted in a play. He lettered in (five-man) football, basketball, and track and was often a team member of note.

Tom earned his bachelor of arts degrees in math and physics from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He was a member of the Blue Key National Honor Fraternity, served on the Inter-Society Board, was chairman of the homecoming parade, served as senior class treasurer, was a member of the Gladstone Society, and participated in intramural sports.  Tom earned a master of science degree from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, with a major in physics and a minor in math.  During his residency as an engineer’s aide with the US Army Corps of Engineers, he helped to inspect Minuteman missile silos. Tom’s master’s thesis was entitled An X-Ray Study of Thin Nickel Films. In 1965, Tom joined IBM, where he served notably for 36 years.

Tom married his first wife, Susan Jane Roney, after graduating from Augustana. They were blessed with two daughters and a son. For eighteen years, the family lived in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, where they especially enjoyed boating and skiing on the Mississippi River, winter sports and activities, and Oktoberfest. In Lacrosse, Tom worked as an IBM systems engineer serving customers in the area with technical sales support.

An IBM career move took the Thompson family to Raleigh, North Carolina where Tom conducted capacity and performance studies for large corporations as a certified IBM network and systems consultant using sophisticated modeling tools to analyze and quantify customers’ extensive measurement data. After his IBM career, Tom achieved success in product management and business development for IBM partners OPNET Technologies and ShoreGroup.

In Raleigh, Tom met and married Ann Pierce. They enjoyed a rich life together centered around home, family, and serving their Lord through Via de Cristo, Teens Encounter Christ, Community Bible Study, church choir and missions, marriage ministry, and confirmation. Together they enjoyed gardening, photography, travel, geocaching, and embracing new technologies. Tom was an avid sports fan who was a die-hard Green Bay Packers fan and he also enjoyed ACC college sports and professional hockey.

Tom has left an enduring legacy in his personal, family, and professional life. He will be sorely missed by many.

A celebration of Mr. Thompson’s life was held at 1 o’clock, Saturday, July 1, 2023 at Hope Lutheran Church, 3525 Rogers Rd, Wake Forest, NC 27587.

Mr. Thompson is survived by his wife of 33 years, Ann Pierce Thompson; children, Sarah Marie Thompson Adams & husband Kevin of Franklin, TN, Sally Jean Thompson Bober & husband Andy of Chapel Hill, NC and Jay Thompson & wife Milla of Espoo, Finland; grandchildren, Emily Jean Adams, Katherine Grace Adams, Ella Martine Bober, Anna Catherine Bober, Toren Joonas Thompson and Lilja Inkeri Thompson; brothers, John Darrell Thompson of Santa Rosa, CA, David Dean Thompson of Mitchell, SD and Oscar Cleven Thompson & wife Sherry Stilley of Letcher, SD; the Siu family of Wake Forest, NC, extended family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, you are invited to make a gift in Tom’s memory to Hope Lutheran Church (Choir or Missions Fund), 3525 Rogers Rd, Wake Forest, NC 27587;  Community Bible Study, Attention: Donations, 790 Stout Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80921 (www.communitybiblestudy.org/donate) or you can make a gift to Families Together, P.O. Box 14395, Raleigh, NC 2762 (www.familiestogethernc.org/general-donation)

 Arrangements by Clancy Strickland Wheeler Funeral Home, 1051 Durham Road, Wake Forest, NC. (919) 556-7400

www.cswfuneralhome.com