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In Memory

Patrick Lee Thompson - Class Of 1978 VIEW PROFILE

Patrick Lee Thompson

Adams 1978 Patrick Lee Thompson

Aug. 19, 1960 - July 17, 2016

SOUTH BEND - Patrick Lee Thompson passed away peacefully in his sleep on the morning of July 17, 2016, in Pensacola, FL. He was born at Memorial Hospital, South Bend, and was a resident of South Bend for most of his life, living in Pensacola since 2011.

Pat graduated from John Adams High School in 1978, and for many years worked for Neff Industries in South Bend, alongside his good friend, the late Michael Poettgen.

He is survived by his mother, Mary Lou Thompson of Mishawaka, IN; brother, Scott W. Thompson (Susi) of Granger, IN; sister, Jennifer Louise Leonard (Sterling) of Pensacola, FL, and sister, Suellen Thompson of Mishawaka, IN. Patrick is also survived by a nephew, Michael Patrick Thompson of Granger, IN, and two nieces: Chloe Page Louise Dubuisson of Pensacola, FL, and Molly Christine Thompson of Granger, IN. He was preceded in death by his father, Jerry Lee Thompson of South Bend in 2001, and his brother, Thomas Clark Thompson (Susan) of Osceola in 2008.

Growing up in River Park, Patrick was kindhearted, dependable, loyal, and intelligent. Like all of us in the Thompson family, Patrick was competitive at the card table and in athletics, and enjoyed playing tennis, softball, basketball and football in a neighborhood that set the clocks by when the next game was to be played.

Our father taught all of us that it was not who won or lost, but how you played the game, and Patrick took that motto to heart; however, he didn't suffer cheaters and whiners very well, just like his dad didn't. There was more than one time when Pat would challenge Jerry on a ruling during a family ball game, wouldn't back down, and wound up kicked out of his own backyard! In a family raised on the Cubs and the Bears, Pat, as the third son in a family of five, took his own path - he loved the White Sox and the Packers, and never came close to apologizing for it.

He also loved music passionately, as we all did - his favorite band was Blue Oyster Cult - and when brother Tommy began a 30-year career as a popular singer and musician in the area, it was always Pat who stood in the back, complaining about the set list. His main criticism? Too much country, and not enough Blue Oyster Cult!

Despite Pat's curmudgeonly exterior, he was wonderful with young children. His nieces and nephew enjoyed him very much - he had a way with kids that was unique and joyful to observe. It may have been in the way that his patient, playful, and often silly manner with them differed from the otherwise stoic demeanor that he displayed around adults. This contrast perhaps illustrates the essence of Patrick: at heart he was gentle, funny, and whip-smart, but it was often difficult for him to let those elements appear with ease when he was among other people.

At the end of his life, Patrick dealt briefly with some debilitating health issues, caused by a variety of physical ailments and illnesses. The family is extremely grateful to the staff of Baptist Hospital in Pensacola, and especially Dr. Michael Simpson, for all of the wonderful, loving care and treatment he received. Cremation has taken place, and the family is requesting privacy during this difficult time. No public services are planned at this writing. Please leave any condolences, messages, wishes, and memories of Patrick at https://www.facebook.com/groups/ 896310763814479/

Published in South Bend Tribune on July 21, 2016

- See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/southbendtribune/obituary.aspx?n=patrick-lee-thompson&pid=180737362&eid=sp_ommatch#sthash.H7IHKwYz.dpuf



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