Carolyn Thompson

Carolyn Thompson, age 81, of Traverse City, Michigan, formerly of Nashville, Tennessee died on Friday, May 10, 2024, after an extended illness. Carolyn was born on January 15, 1943 in Bay City, Michigan, the daughter of Norman and Elizabeth "Betty" (King) Hall. She grew up in Midland and in 1965 married Jim Hsieh following graduation from Western Michigan University. Moving to Chicago for graduate school, she attended the University of Illinois Graduate School of Social Work in Chicago, completing her master’s degree later at the University of Tennessee in 1975. Two sons, Brent and Loren Hsieh, were born during that marriage, both joyful blessings to her. In 2012 she married again, to Clifton ("Clif') Thompson. They had a wonderful life together. Clif and Carolyn moved permanently to Traverse City. Work life for Carolyn included 10 years of social work in services for multihandicapped children and young adults and hospital work, both as a social worker at Murci Homes and at Vanderbilt as an executive assistant, and then as a coordinator of discharge planning at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Having had an interest from childhood in people with a different background, Carolyn had a passion in adulthood for developing friendships with people from various countries and worked with a number of refugees as well. In 1991 she became a mentor for a young Amerasian woman from Vietnam who later, along with her family, considered her "Mom" and "Grandma." For many years she was a host family of one for two institutions that taught English to young adults from other countries. Over about 17 years she made what she called "daughters/friends," with young women from Taiwan, Japan, Panama, Brazil, Colombia, Switzerland and Turkey. She wished to be a "citizen of the world" and became even more aware of the oneness of people everywhere through her world travels. Carolyn was appreciative of the family life she came from and tried to carry forward the values she learned from her parents and the United Methodist Church, as well as concern for the civil rights of the minorities in our country. Volunteer work after retirement was very important to her. She served at Munson Hospital, Justice for Our Neighbors (for refugees' and immigrants' legal assistance), Road to Recovery (an American Cancer Society program providing transportation to treatment appointments), and Senior Ride Nashville. Carolyn was predeceased by her parents, Elizabeth (Betty) and Norman Hall in 2009, and her brother, David William Hall, M.D., who died at age 40 of leukemia in 1992. Carolyn is survived by her husband, Clifton C. Thompson, son Brent (Nina Mendoza) Hsieh, granddaughter, Colby Alaina Hsieh, and son, Loren Hsieh of California, sister, Dorothy (Cary) Lewis of Portland, Oregon, nephew, Nathan Lewis, sister-in-law, Toni Hathaway (widow of brother), nephew, Jeremy Hall (David's son), stepdaughter, Brenda (Robert) Sepanski, and step grandson, John Sepanski. Friends are welcome to visit with Carolyn’s family from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 18, 2024 in the Garden at the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home, 305 Sixth St. Traverse City, Michigan 49684. A Celebration of Carolyn's life will be held on Sunday, May 19, 2024 at 2:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Grand Traverse at 6726 Center Rd., Traverse City, Michigan. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Grand Traverse, Belmont United Methodist Church in Nashville, TN, The Father Fred Foundation, Vanderbilt University Hospital, Munson Medical Center (including Cowell Cancer Center), Hospice of Michigan, or the charity of your choice. Please feel free to share your thoughts and memories with Carolyn’s family at her tribute page at www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com. •

Carolyn Thompson

January 15, 1943 - May 10, 2024