Mary Thompson Obituary

Mary Lavada Brown Thompson, 79, of Little Rock, Arkansas, died Sunday, April 28, 2002, at the Saint Vincent Hospital after a long illness. She was born December 11, 1922, at Dierks, Arkansas, to the late Otis A. and Lucy A. Brown. She was a loving mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She will be missed by all who knew her. Mary loved children and was always looking for ways to improve the life of children of all ages. In the late 1950s, while living in Hamburg, Arkansas, she built a one-room schoolhouse in her back yard and taught preschoolers. This was the only school in Hamburg for preschoolers. In the early 1960s, living in Little Rock, she could be found behind her desk at J. A. Riggs Tractor Company where she was receptionist for 28 years. She loved her work and worked hard to make her life more meaningful, but her real joy was being with her friends and working for the Lord at the First Church of the Nazarene. She was preceded in death by her parents, and her husband, Robert Thompson, Sr. Survivors include a son, Robert Thompson, Jr., and his wife Patricia of Searcy; a daughter, Mary McCollom of Little Rock; two brothers, Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Grady L. Brown and his wife Mabel, and William Leland Brown and his wife Beatrice, all of Little Rock. Mary was blessed with four grandchildren and five great- grandchildren, and a host of other relatives. Visitation will be from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Tuesday, April 20, at Griffin Leggett Healey & Roth, 5800 W. 12th St., Little Rock, Arkansas (661-9111). Funeral services will be Wednesday, May 1, 11:30 a.m., at Griffin Leggett Healey & Roth Chapel with Pastor Dan Casey officiating. Burial will be at Forest Hills, Little Rock, Arkansas. The honorary pallbearers will be members of her Sunday School class at First Church of the Nazarene. Memorials may be made to First Church of the Nazarene, 1200 North Mississippi, Little Rock, Arkansas 72207.