Stephen M. Thompson, Died Nov. 25, 2018

Stephen M. Thompson

Died Nov. 25, 2018

CEDAR – Stephen Michael Thompson, 59, lived a full life until he passed on November 25, 2018.

Steve was born on March 23, 1959 to Harold Robert Thompson (deceased 1998) and Ruth Ann (Keith N. deceased 2001) Smith.  Steve was born in Traverse City and grew up in Cedar.

He attended Holy Rosary School as did all seven of his siblings: Janice (Sean) Barr, (John Thompson -deceased 1984) , Edward Thompson , Mary Lou (Todd) Rachel, Victoria Nicholls, Donald Thompson and Christine Thompson.  Steve graduated from Glen Lake High School in 1977 where he learned welding skills from Traverse City Career Tech Center.

Steve developed a strong work ethic from his family beginning with a rural paper route as a young boy.  As a boy scout, Steve and a fellow scout planted 10,000 pine tree seedlings on a clear-cut hill in Leelanau County.  During his high school years, he worked alongside his father at Thompson Well Drilling, was employed as a welder at Sugar Loaf Mountain and did construction work at Flowers Construction and Grand Traverse Log Homes.

The more difficult the job, the more creativity Steve employed.  He wasn’t afraid to tackle any job.  This was especially evident as he traveled south to Florida doing a variety of different jobs and north to Wisconsin where he spent eight years working with maintenance and mowing of the course at Lapeer Grand Valley Golf Course.

Music was a large part of Steve’s life.  He learned to play the accordion by watching his motions in a mirror to imitate his mother’s accomplished playing.  Steve took his love of music to many places playing with his siblings as “The Thompson Polka Kids" and with friends in “Cabin Fever” where they once played music on a floating slab of ice.

Steve came from a long line of storytellers.  Many of his stories have been published in “Speak Up Zine” and “TC Street Voices", magazines sold on the street in Traverse City. An accomplished writer and poet Steve once wrote, “A person can listen./Or talk./It’s important to me to do both./I will say this./As a group,/Sitting/Sharing/As a family/So many stories being told/So many memories remembered./Do we forget?/Not for now./I cherish these few minutes to think/And write/Then perhaps talk./I want to thank you/For listening to me.”

Quiet was what Steve enjoyed on a lake with a fishing pole, in a tree blind with a rifle, on the golf course, or sharing a beer with a friend.  Steve's legacy is the people whose lives he touched and through them the hard times were blessed.

He is survived by his Godparents at Baptism, Ray and Julie Watkoski, many relatives, nieces and nephews, and extended family of Kieth’s.

Steve will be interned at Holy Rosary Cemetery where his father, brother John and baby sister Karen are buried and grandparents, Ed and Irene Fleis.  Others who predeceased him are a grandmother, Josephine Byrne and Leonard and Anna Armstrong; who were like grandparents to him and his siblings.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 30 with the Rosary to be prayed at 7 p.m. at the Martinson Funeral Home of Suttons Bay.  The mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 1 with the family greeting friends at 10 a.m. at the Holy Rosary Church of Cedar.  Burial in Mt. Calvary Cemetery will be announced in the spring.  Father Donald Libby will serve as celebrant.

Memorials may be directed to Safe Harbor, 517 Wellington St, Traverse City, MI 49686 and/or The Thompson/Smith Family, PO Box 159, Suttons Bay, MI 49682.

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