IN LOVING MEMORY OF
Eugene W.
Thompson
March 10, 1941 – September 5, 2025
Obituary
Dr. Eugene W. (Gene) Thompson, an educator who focused his professional efforts upon improving the learning experience for children, died September 5, 2025. Gene was born, raised, and educated in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Detroit police officer Morris and Katherine Thompson. He is survived by his wife Sandra McConnell, Ph.D.; his son, Jeffrey S. (Susan Cole, Ph.D.) Thompson, Ph.D. of Westerville, Ohio; his daughter Elizabeth M. (James Krause) Thompson-Koperdak, R.N. of Kalamazoo, MI; four grandchildren, Alexis, Nicholas and Emily Koperdak and Adriane Thompson; nephew John D. (Paula) McDonald of Raleigh, NC, and niece Karen (Tim) Haney of Siesta Key, FL. In addition to his family, he dearly loved his oldest and dearest friends Doug and Nancy Wuggazer of Chicago; Ronald J., Ph.D. and Mary Beth Marino of Fort Myers, FL; Margaret B. DuRant, Ph.D. of Ann Arbor, MI; his horse Tempt Me Tango and greyhound Abby. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Corine McDonald. Gene was proud of the professional achievements and the personal values of his son and daughter and often spoke of the educational, social and cultural gains of his family in four generations from the Appalachian coal fields in the nineteenth century,
Gene graduated from the Detroit Public Schools. He earned university degrees at Western Michigan University (B.A. '63), The University of Michigan (M.A. '65) and Western Michigan University (Ed.D. '72). His professional work began in the Detroit suburbs as a fourth-grade teacher where Dr. Ron Marino was his first principal. Theirs became a close friendship that encompassed the world and spanned over six decades. Gene's career included work as a teacher, school principal, director of research, school district superintendent, and university professor. Following retirement, Gene was a consultant often working with Dr. Marino on behalf of the United States Department of State with schools and organizations worldwide. He was appointed to the Arizona Early Childhood Development and Health Board (First Things First) by Governor Janet Napolitano in 2007.
A lifelong athlete, Gene played softball and hockey, was a skier, scuba diver, horseman, golfer, hiker, bicyclist, and avid University of Michigan football and Detroit Tigers baseball fan. He loved good books, geopolitics, cooking, an icy martini, fine wine, music and active intellectual conversation.
Throughout his adult life, Gene was committed to the principles of the Democratic Party and served in leadership roles. He was driven by society's need for education, equality and social justice. His position was that "silence is agreement… he was rarely silent. His life was lived with passion, energy, humor and appreciation.
Memorial contributions may be made to The Nature Conservancy, Planned Parenthood, or The American Civil Liberties Union.
A memorial service will be held October 4, 2025, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the McFarland Funeral Chapel in Tryon, North Carolina.
Gene graduated from the Detroit Public Schools. He earned university degrees at Western Michigan University (B.A. '63), The University of Michigan (M.A. '65) and Western Michigan University (Ed.D. '72). His professional work began in the Detroit suburbs as a fourth-grade teacher where Dr. Ron Marino was his first principal. Theirs became a close friendship that encompassed the world and spanned over six decades. Gene's career included work as a teacher, school principal, director of research, school district superintendent, and university professor. Following retirement, Gene was a consultant often working with Dr. Marino on behalf of the United States Department of State with schools and organizations worldwide. He was appointed to the Arizona Early Childhood Development and Health Board (First Things First) by Governor Janet Napolitano in 2007.
A lifelong athlete, Gene played softball and hockey, was a skier, scuba diver, horseman, golfer, hiker, bicyclist, and avid University of Michigan football and Detroit Tigers baseball fan. He loved good books, geopolitics, cooking, an icy martini, fine wine, music and active intellectual conversation.
Throughout his adult life, Gene was committed to the principles of the Democratic Party and served in leadership roles. He was driven by society's need for education, equality and social justice. His position was that "silence is agreement… he was rarely silent. His life was lived with passion, energy, humor and appreciation.
Memorial contributions may be made to The Nature Conservancy, Planned Parenthood, or The American Civil Liberties Union.
A memorial service will be held October 4, 2025, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the McFarland Funeral Chapel in Tryon, North Carolina.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Dr. Eugene W. Thompson, please visit our flower store.
Services
Memorial Service
October
4
McFarland Funeral Chapel
Starts at 2:00 pm
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