Stephen Michael Thompson

Stephen Michael Thompson, devoted husband and father, was born on September 21, 1949, and passed away on May 24, 2020, at the age of 70. He was born in Normal, Illinois to Marvin and Marjorie (Jennings) Thompson where he lived a greater part of his childhood within the farming communities within McLean County. Stephen longed to see what was out in the world beyond the cornfields and soybeans, so in 1968 he enlisted into the Navy and reported to the USS John F. Kennedy CVA 67 which was the newest attack aircraft carrier at that time. He served as a ship photographer and sailed throughout the ports within the Mediterranean and Caribbean.
After leaving the Navy, Stephen became the first in his family to attend college on the GI Bill and earned his BS in English Education from Illinois State University. He later became attracted to the language of contracts and the law which drew him into a career as a successful insurance underwriter. In 1979, Stephen met Annette, who later became his beautiful bride of over 38 years. They did nearly everything together and were the perfect match because he had the “creative mind” and she had the “logical mind.” After living in Illinois and Indiana for 15 years, the two later moved to Texas where the backdrops of Stephen’s childhood television show favorites like “Gunsmoke” suddenly came to life.
Stephen worked hard but he also played hard. On the weekends, before retirement, you could find him in his backyard perfecting the art of grilling, going treasure hunting in antique malls, feeding his fish and playing with his English bulldog, or using his green thumb to care for his tropical plants. Stephen would often be wearing a hat while nursing a cup of coffee and he always loved a good cheeseburger with fries; as a kid, he would sweet-talk his mom into taking him into Towanda, IL for that perfect late-night snack.
After retirement, Stephen traveled to Israel in 2008 with his daughter, Michelle which he described as "life-changing." He returned to the states and decided to become more involved with the mission program of St. Vincent's Anglican Church, where he was a member for over 20 years. Stephen's mission work took him from orphanages in Mexico and torn up communities in New Orleans, all the way to the rainforests of Cambodia. It was Cambodia, located in the center of Southeast Asia, that stole Stephen’s heart, having completed seven mission trips there over the years. He loved connecting with the children and elders and he didn’t mind the physical exhaustion at the end of the day because it energized his heart. Stephen’s missions didn’t stop while he was abroad. Here at home, he would always go out of his way to help out his fellow community members by visiting those who were sick or driving them to doctor appointments.
Stephen will be greatly missed by his wife, Annette (Vacketta), daughter Michelle (Hastings), and two granddaughters, Harlow and Josephine (Hastings). He will be remembered by his sister and brother-in-law, Kathie and Bruce King and brother and sister-in-law, Tony and Cecilia Thompson. Stephen is also survived by his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Brad and Lorraine Vacketta, and his mother-in-law, Patricia (Nonna) Vacketta, as well as his nieces and nephews, Brooke, Nicholas, and Tara King, Caleb Thompson, and Vincent and Ava Vacketta. Stephen’s life will be honored and remembered on Tuesday, June 9th, 2020 at 1:00 at St. Vincent’s Cathedral in Bedford, Texas. For safety purposes, social distancing and wearing masks will be practiced. If you would like to Livestream the event please click on St. Vincent's Cathedral YouTube Channel using this link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAz5v1V4SrTVHsTtuDmPBoQ/feed
Flowers may be sent directly to the church and donations in Stephen’s name may be sent to the St. Vincent’s missionary fund at 1300 Forest Ridge Drive, Bedford, Texas 76022.