Leonard S. Thompson obituary

#MiddleburyCT #Obituary

Loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather

Leonard S. Thompson, 99, passed away peacefully March 16, 2025, at Waterbury Hospital in Waterbury, Connecticut surrounded by his loving family. He will be remembered as a loving, outgoing man who was the happiest in the company of his family. His energy and enthusiasm were contagious.

Lenny was born in Bridgeport, Conn., a son of the late Robert and Fannie (Bottom) Thompson. After graduating from Warren Harding High School in Bridgeport, Lenny proudly served his country in the Navy during WWII in the South Pacific. He was a recipient of the American Theater Medal, Asiatic Pacific Medal, Victory Medal and Philippine Liberation Ribbon.

After the war, Lenny married Shirley Reif and raised their two children, Gary and Nancy-Ann, in Fairfield. He became a foreman at Remington Shaver in Bridgeport while attending the Bridgeport Engineering Institute at night. Lenny sold real estate part time as a broker with Caselli Real Estate in Stratford for many years. After leaving Remington Shaver, he worked seven years as a mechanical services manager at Exxon Printing Systems and later worked two years at Dataproducts Corporation in Brookfield. He moved to Stratford, where he met his second wife, Pat, and they moved to Southbury, where they lived for several years until moving to Middlebury.

During retirement, Lenny enjoyed traveling and playing golf in the senior league at Crestbrook Golf Course in Watertown, where he was a member of the executive board. He enjoyed his condo in Naples, Fla., where he entertained family and friends. His favorite activity in the summer was spending time at Candlewood Lake where he enjoyed boating and teaching people how to waterski. He had a talent for fixing things for anyone who asked. There wasn’t anything that he could not fix. Lenny was a loving and devoted son, brother, husband, father, stepfather, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He will be missed by all who were blessed to know and love him.

Lenny is survived by his loving wife of 41, years Pat Thompson; his son, Gary Thompson, and his wife, Donna, of New Milford; his daughter, Nancy-Ann McLaughlin, and her husband, Jim, of Hooksett, N.H.; two stepdaughters, Carol Hackett and her husband, Patrick, of Lakeville and Christina Burge and her husband, Jon, of Berryville, Va.; his brother-in-law, David Mulligan, and his wife, Carol, of Oxford; and his sister-in-law, Midori Mulligan of Japan.

He was known as Grampy to his grandchildren and great-grandchildren and will be missed by Kevin Lemire and his wife, Emily, and their sons, Elijah, Evan and Emmett of Weare, N.H.; Ryan Lemire and his wife, Laura, and their sons, Henry, Theodore and Miles of Manchester, N.H.; Scot Thompson and his wife, Jillian, and their sons, Jack, Owen and Liam of New Milford; Corey Thompson and his wife, Kim, and their children, Chase and Addison of Middlebury. He also is survived by his six step-grandchildren: Megan and her husband, Matt Whitty, and Megan’s children, Chelsea and Jason Cossaboon of Epping, N.H., Shawn McLaughlin and his wife, Katie, and their daughters, Lindsay and Allison of Raymond, N.H.; Tommy and Ruth Hackett and their daughter, Pearl, of Salisbury; Jimmy Hackett of Lakeville and Lily and Connor Burge of
Berryville, Va.

He will be missed by his sister, Shirley Baker of Michigan and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a brother, William Thompson, and two sisters, Martha Throp and Vira Gordon.

The family thanks hospice at Waterbury Hospital for their wonderful care at the end of
his life.

A funeral service with cremains present will be celebrated on Monday, March 24, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at Brookside Memorial/The Albini Family Funeral Home & Crematory at 200 Benson Road in Middlebury. Burial with military honors will follow at St. Michael’s Cemetery in Stratford. A calling hour will be held prior to the service from 9:30 a.m. until the time of the service.

Memorial contributions can be made in Leonard’s memory to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Tribute Program, P.O. Box 1000, Suite 142, Memphis, TN 38148

For more information or to send an online condolence, please visit www.brooksidememorial.com.