Marvin Thompson, Jr.

Marvin R. Thompson, Jr. died this past Friday night, April 18, 2014, at the age of 72. He passed away peacefully in his sleep at the Regency Heights Nursing Home, after a visit from his lovingly devoted wife, Diane (Goodsell-Andreoli) Thompson. Marv was born April 7, 1942 in Mineola, LI, NY, son of the late Marvin R. and Florence (Partello) Thompson, Sr. He attended Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, where he played football and earned the nickname Moose, to which he is still lovingly referred by his nieces. He graduated in 1960, and enrolled at Syracuse University, with high hopes for his football career. He joined the Theta Chi Social Fraternity, and headed for the football try-outs, only torealize he wasn’t as big a Moose as he thought he was. He left Syracuse in favor of the University of Connecticut, to be closer to his sisters. He soon realized he might need a little more discipline if he ever hoped to graduate. Marv had always been fascinated by the idea of being able to fly, building and crashing many model airplanes in his life, so he joined the US Airforce in 1963, and finally got his wings. His experience in the service from 1963-1967, and service in the reserves for two additional years, prompted him to pursue his education in Physics at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1969. He proved to be much more successful in his second attempt at higher education, achieving membership in the American Institute of Physics, and the Sigma Pi Sigma honor society. In 1971, the university offered him a position as Physicist, which he accepted, and retained until his retirement in 2008. During his tenure at UConn, he had a number of accomplishments. He engineered a tiny laser which could be put into the heart of Leukemia patients to kill off excess white blood cells. He designed and built a giant spectrometer, which could look at larger molecules than had ever been seen before, enabling AIDS researchers to break down the structure of the virus so they could learn how to fight it. He even sent an experiment to Mars to examine the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Marv’s accomplishments did not end with him. Although he was never a professor, he supported countless graduate students with their research efforts, and helped UConn turn out some very accomplished alumni. But if you were to ask him what his greatest accomplishment was, he undoubtedly would have said “my children”. Marv did the work he did because he was good at it, and it suited him well, but all he ever wanted to be in life was a father. In 1961, he was picked up hitch-hiking along Rt. 195 in Storrs, CT, and met a lovely young lady, Nancy (Tutles) Marchand, who coincidentally was his younger sister’s roommate. She became his best friend, and eventually, his wife, and mother to his two daughters. Though the marriage was not meant to last, he always treasured her because she gave him the greatest gifts he ever had, Debra Lynn and Julie Kathleen, lovingly referred to by Marv as Debra Lynn Stickywickets, and Chooly Wooly Booly. Yes, Marv may have appeared to be a bit of a stuffed shirt, spending even his weekends in a button-down shirt and slacks, but if you looked close enough, you could always see the child within, dancing in his eyes. He gave that gift to his children by teaching them not only the science, and beauty in the world around them, but also the magic. You haven’t seen Christmas (not to mention Halloween, Easter, and birthdays) until you’ve seen it at Marv’s house. Marv loved children, loved family, and despite a second failed marriage, to Shiela (Kusiak) Thompson, continued to love and support her two children, Christine Peterson and Eric Rustic, as his own, encouraging them to reach for, and achieve their dreams. Marv finally found his soul mate in 1989, when he met his beautiful wife, Diane, with whom he lived out the rest of his days. Once again expanding his heart to welcome her four children, Richie Andreoli, Christine Szarek, Theresa Andreoli, and Patricia Andreoli, Marv eventually became the proud grandfather of 18 beautiful grandchildren! Marv is survived by his two daughters and their families; Debra, David, Allyssa and Brianna Lent and Julie, Louis and Rockland DiDonato; his wife, Diane, her children and their families; Richard and AlanaAndreoli, Christine and Leonard Szarek, Patricia Andreoli, Theresa and Jordan Andreoli, Brittany Chesworth and Kylee Kuchey; his stepchildren from his second marriage and their families; Christine, Charles, Mackenzie, Kieth and Karina Peterson, and Eric, Alyssa, Nicolette and Riley Rustic; his two sisters, Diana Thompson and Dorothy Bellew; Dorothy’s three gorgeous girls and their families; Leslie, Glen, Casey and Nikki Stanton, Christine, George and Dylan Chambers, and Pamela Simpson; his late sister Dolores Wright’s children, Roger and Laura Lee, and Laura’s son Anthony; and of course, the true love of his life, his cat, Squeakers. Relatives and friends may join the family on Saturday, April 26, 2014 at the Tolland Memorial Funeral Home, 375 Merrow Road (Rt. 195), Tolland, CT 06084 from 3-5 pm with a memorial service to follow at 5 pm. Marv has requested that, in lieu of flowers, a donation be made to the American Cancer Society in his honor.