Patricia Anne Thompson was born on April 7, 1953, in Youngstown, Ohio. While we attended many different elementary schools growing up all over the U.S., she graduated from Franklin High School in Franklin, Pa. Pat graduated from Mount Union College in Ohio with an M.S. in Geology. She was near completion of her dissertation for a Master’s of Science in Geology at the time of her accident in 2013.
Pat had many interests and accomplishments in a life well lived. In college, she was a music major and was accomplished playing instruments, excelling in the cello. When she found that she would not get into Juilliard, she changed her major to geology. After college, she studied and became a professional photographer. In 1987, she undertook a volunteer internship in the National Park Service starting what would be a lifelong career in Shenandoah National Park. She became a seasonal ranger, paying her dues as most rangers must before becoming a permanent employee in 1992. During her seasonal years, she worked at the park for six months and then worked for the State of Virginia in an international project of acid/air and rain studies. She climbed 40- foot towers to collect air samples and went through many backcountry streams to collect water samples.
During the months where she was active in Shenandoah NP, she acquired many skills including becoming an EMT, learning firefighting skills and participating in those events as needed. She also trained originally in interpretation. In 1997, Pat was promoted and transferred to Petrified Forest National Park outside of Holbrook. During her time there she ultimately became Chief, Cultural and Natural Resources. This position dealt with various scientific areas of operation and cultural relations with local Indigenous People.
Pat spent a lifetime in service to others. She served for many years on the vestry at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Holbrook. She served on the Bishop of Arizona’s finance committee. Ultimately, she became Arizona’s only lay vicar serving the local church as they couldn’t afford a fulltime priest. Pat was also on the Board of Trustees for Faith in Action in Flagstaff. This group performed many outreach activities including Habitat for Humanity. She routinely cooked and served meals to the homeless at Bread of Life. She was a member of The Order of the Eastern Star Ruby Chapter No. 3.
Additionally, Pat contributed many donations of funds for books for children to the Oglala Sioux. She knitted at least 200 sweaters per year for small children where needed, knitted many scarves and hats for the Episcopal outreach to sailor’s incoming to New York City from foreign countries, most of whom were not prepared for cold weather. She “adopted” a Russian orphan and contributed to many international wildlife projects.
She was preceded in death by Willis R. Thompson and Elizabeth Greene Thompson, our parents. She is survived by her sister, Pamela Schweitzer; her niece, Meredith Williams; and her husband Bill Williams with their children, James and Chasity. She is also survived by her younger niece, Elizabeth Kirkland and her husband Grant Kirkland, and their children, Ethan, Ben and Zoey.
Services were held on Friday, Nov. 3, at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, in York, Pa., followed by internment at Grosses Creek Cemetery in Smyth County, Va.
