Mary Lora “Sylvia” S. Thompson, 89, passed away on September 7, 2020, surrounded by her loving family. Sylvia was formerly married to the late Dr. William Richard Thompson of Warwick, R.I. In recent years Sylvia resided with her daughter Kathryn Angela Thompson and her partner Linda Kowalski in Valparaiso, Indiana, where she adored watching the deer and other wildlife of her adopted home. A lifetime football fan, Sylvia picked up a taste for fantasy football in her last years, and quickly became an aficionado.
Sylvia is survived by her five children, Mary, John, Kathryn, Norma and William Thompson; seven grandchildren, Jesse, Maegan, Kaila and Kiera Schedeen; and Madeleine and Gary Thompson and Kristen Kim; and six great-grandchildren.
She was born in Pawtucket, RI, to Elizabeth Stanton O’Neil and George Wilmer Sullivan, who raised nine children, eventually settling in West Springfield, Massachusetts. Four of Sylvia’s siblings survive her: Constance Cain, and Richard, Roger, and Thomas Sullivan. Sylvia was the seventh of nine children; she attributed much of her feisty spirit and athletic prowess to the fact that she had to contend with six brothers of close age. When she raised her own family in Warwick, RI, she passed on her love of sports to her children and devoted herself tirelessly to transporting them to lessons, swim meets, and tennis tournaments throughout New England. She volunteered for numerous organizations, and became the first female Chair of the Board of the Providence YMCA.
When Sylvia was not busy encouraging activities among her children, she pursued her own passion of playing bridge. Her children quickly learned that the perfect time to ask for ice cream money was when Mom was bidding no trump, whatever that meant. She was a superb player of duplicate bridge, and achieved the status of Gold Life Master. This talent carried over in other fields as well, as she was the go-to person in the household for accounting or math questions, solving puzzles, winning at Scrabble and assembling furniture or toys. Each December when her family was young, she would knit Fisherman sweaters for the entire family of cousins who were the beneficiaries of the Christmas swap that year; her own children became accustomed to hand-knit sweaters, scarves and hats that seemed to appear magically every season. “Mrs. Thompson” was famous at Cedar Hill School for all the holiday boxes of beautiful design that she contributed year after year.
Sylvia was a very social animal who loved travelling, from beachcombing in Sanibel Island, to her Irish “homeland,” to more intrepid travel in the Far East. She was a frequent visitor to Foxwoods Casino when she lived in Rhode Island, and then to Four Winds in Michigan. She had a quick wit and was known to be ready with an off-color joke to share even with the priest before Mass. She lifted everyone’s spirit and will be sorely missed. A private memorial service is being planned and memorial donations may be made to Dunes Hospice (www.duneshospicellc.com).
Sylvia is survived by her five children, Mary, John, Kathryn, Norma and William Thompson; seven grandchildren, Jesse, Maegan, Kaila and Kiera Schedeen; and Madeleine and Gary Thompson and Kristen Kim; and six great-grandchildren.
She was born in Pawtucket, RI, to Elizabeth Stanton O’Neil and George Wilmer Sullivan, who raised nine children, eventually settling in West Springfield, Massachusetts. Four of Sylvia’s siblings survive her: Constance Cain, and Richard, Roger, and Thomas Sullivan. Sylvia was the seventh of nine children; she attributed much of her feisty spirit and athletic prowess to the fact that she had to contend with six brothers of close age. When she raised her own family in Warwick, RI, she passed on her love of sports to her children and devoted herself tirelessly to transporting them to lessons, swim meets, and tennis tournaments throughout New England. She volunteered for numerous organizations, and became the first female Chair of the Board of the Providence YMCA.
When Sylvia was not busy encouraging activities among her children, she pursued her own passion of playing bridge. Her children quickly learned that the perfect time to ask for ice cream money was when Mom was bidding no trump, whatever that meant. She was a superb player of duplicate bridge, and achieved the status of Gold Life Master. This talent carried over in other fields as well, as she was the go-to person in the household for accounting or math questions, solving puzzles, winning at Scrabble and assembling furniture or toys. Each December when her family was young, she would knit Fisherman sweaters for the entire family of cousins who were the beneficiaries of the Christmas swap that year; her own children became accustomed to hand-knit sweaters, scarves and hats that seemed to appear magically every season. “Mrs. Thompson” was famous at Cedar Hill School for all the holiday boxes of beautiful design that she contributed year after year.
Sylvia was a very social animal who loved travelling, from beachcombing in Sanibel Island, to her Irish “homeland,” to more intrepid travel in the Far East. She was a frequent visitor to Foxwoods Casino when she lived in Rhode Island, and then to Four Winds in Michigan. She had a quick wit and was known to be ready with an off-color joke to share even with the priest before Mass. She lifted everyone’s spirit and will be sorely missed. A private memorial service is being planned and memorial donations may be made to Dunes Hospice (www.duneshospicellc.com).