Carol Francis Thompson's Obituary
Carol Francis Thompson, age 80, passed away on June 21, 2017, due to Pancreatic Cancer. She was born in Salt Lake City Utah on November 7, 1936 to Freda Turner Sparks Diefenthaler and Merlin Sparks.
Carol and Darrell Thompson had been married for 60 years. They met in Deforest, Wisconsin on their elementary school playground in the 5th grade. Carol loved to tell the story of when she told her friend that she would marry that guy some day. And, indeed, ten years later they did marry. Carol worked as a beautician while Darrell drove cab and completed his degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 1957 they gave birth to their first child, Deanna and then in 1961 their son (and favorite child), Brad was born (or adopted, no one is confirming or denying this LOL). They lived in Madison, WI until 1971 when Darrell was offered a job transfer to Buffalo, NY. The family lived in Buffalo for 10 years and then transferred to Salt Lake City, Utah. They so enjoyed their time in Buffalo, but after a while they knew Salt Lake was their real home. In 1991, their first grandchild Erin was born. As grandparents will do, their world became Erin - totally immersed in the love that only a child offers. They were blessed again and their world widened in 1993 with the birth of their second grandchild, Leah. Darrell and Carol’s life was abundant with joy and love as they watched their granddaughters experience all the wonderments of life. They enjoyed and loved having Mary and Kelly Anne as an important and loving part the Thompson family. Carol’s whole life was a testament to the importance of family, love, connection and harmony. She would drop everything to go have lunch or a cup of coffee with friends or family. Although, it’s possible her coffee-related motivations were to avoid making a meal…LOL. Let’s just go with Carol loved being with family. Her commitment to spiritual growth and learning was important right up until the time of her passing. This commitment helped her enrich her relationships with family and friends. Compassion and mercy were guiding virtues for her in her interpersonal relationships. In later years, she challenged herself to do things differently, breaking through years of patterning, to live an even more fulfilling life. Where she once would typically say, ‘No’, she practiced diligently saying ‘Yes’. She ultimately learned that ‘Yes’ wasn’t as scary as she thought. Her wonderful ability to connect with people was deepened, in part, because she could lay down all the years of fearfulness and self protection. She once said, “I feel lighter and I laugh more.” Her connection with God was the number one relationship in which she continued to evolve. Having God present in an alive, living, relationship was her compass, and love was her north star.
Carol had a very strong work ethic that was handed down from her Mom, who often said, “Finish your work first and then you can play.” Even though Carol demonstrated this work ethic every day, her children may have been more inclined to follow their Dad’s philosophy, which is more akin to ‘Work until fun presents itself’. If marriage is about balance, Darrell and Carol really balanced well together. It’s hard to sum up 80 years of life experience in a couple of paragraphs. There is so much she brought to the world - maybe not in a grand or newsworthy way - but rather in little, extraordinary, quiet, and widely caring ways that make huge differences in our world. She always had a sparkle in her eyes and a smile on her face when she was happy for you - and she seemed to always be happy for you! Her look of amazed innocence when she discovered something new about herself or her world was almost child-like. The warmth you’d feel whenever she said “I love you.” The look of satisfaction she would get when she accomplished a task and it was done well. The peace she would have as she drank a cup of coffee on her deck was almost infectious. Some unforgettable moments of joy were walking with her around her yard, taking in the beauty of the flowers and whimsical yard art. Her bravery and acceptance upon receiving the news that she had Pancreatic Cancer was classic Carol, saying: “I always wondered how I would die and now I know.” We all learned something about life’s preciousness as we witnessed her conscious choice to live, largely, with cancer instead of simply considering it a death sentence. For two and half years she would tell people she had survived this challenge so long because of the love and unconditional support provided by her family. Although this may have been true, the result was that we all had more time to let her know how she made a difference in our lives and that she mattered to so many people. The old saying, “We die as we lived” has never been truer for us. Carol lived her life feeding the seeds of love in her everyday existence. She transitioned from her body being surrounded by her family and love that extended beyond this dimension, far into the universe. God was indeed present and by her side to walk her home.
Carol is survived by husband Darrell Thompson, daughter Deanna Thompson (Kelly Anne Ward), son Brad Thompson (Mary), granddaughters Erin and Leah Thompson. Also, sister Arlene Lapp, sisters in-law Donna Colby and Debbie Nelson, nieces Michelle Schwantz, Ashley Nelson, Karen Colby, Connie Quamme, Dawn Stephenson, and nephews Gary Colby, Mike and Kelly Lapp.
What’s your fondest memory of Carol?
What’s a lesson you learned from Carol?
Share a story where Carol's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Carol you’ll never forget.
How did Carol make you smile?