Theta Swink Thompson

September 22, 1929 - April 30, 2022

Theta Jewell Swink was born on September 22, 1929, in Jacksonville, Texas. She was the third of four children born to Henry and Molly Swink and was named after two nurses that helped her father during his kidney ailment. In their younger days, she and her siblings enjoyed making homemade ice cream, going on what she called “field trips” with their mother, working in the garden, churning butter and a great many other things. She and her sister loved to play with paper dolls. She had fond memories of cooking with her mother and learning to drive from her father. Theta went to West Side Elementary and later graduated from Jacksonville High School and Tyler Commercial College. In 1947, at the age of 17, Theta married Lindsey Vernon Hallonquist and had Michael David in 1949. Michael’s father died the day before his third birthday. She met Lawrence Ray Thompson and they were married on March 7, 1952 at her family’s home in Jacksonville, Texas. Eventually they had Lawrence Ray Thompson, Jr, in 1959. They were married 44 days short of 70 years before our Lawrence died on January 22, 2022. Her first real job was as an executive secretary for W. E. Bailey Insurance Agency in Jacksonville in 1951. She went on to work at Union Asbestos for 5 years and Quality Insulation Company for 20 years before starting Quality Business Service in May of 1979. She was joined by Carol Krugler in 1983, and Lawrence on January 5, 1985 when he retired from Tyler Pipe. She has practiced bookkeeping and tax preparation up until they retired the business in 2021. Theta was a member of University Baptist Church and and often attended the Missionary Baptist Association of Texas and the American Baptist Association annual meeting. Along with Carol and Don Krugler and her camping buddies of the Ramblers Camp Club they enjoyed much time in various RVs. She traveled to 49 states, Canada and Japan. She revisited her favorites: Canada, Michigan and Florida many times. Theta passed away on April 30, 2022 from congestive heart failure at the age of 92. She was also proceeded in death by her parents, Henry and Molly Swink; two brothers, Milton and J. Mack Swink; and one sister, Mary Matthews. She is survived by her two sons: Michael Thompson and wife Judy, of Mt. Pleasant, Texas and Larry Thompson and wife Regina, of Victoria, Texas; five grandsons: David Thompson and wife Becky, of Richwood, Texas, Peter Thompson and wife Leah, of Overton, Texas, Lawrence Thompson and wife Amanda, of Longview Texas, James Aaron Thompson and wife Kayla, of Texarkana, Arkansas and Ray Thompson and wife Kori, of Longview, Texas; one granddaughter: Jennifer Hughes and husband Brandon of Lavon, Texas; 25 great grandchildren: Kara Karstedt, Laylah Arnold, Brian Irwin, Kaylee Thompson, Sabrina Swanson, Brandon Thompson, Matthew Thompson, Daniel Thompson, Lauren Thompson, Joshua Thompson, Beau Thompson, Landon Thompson, Rylee Thompson, Kylee Thompson, Nathan Thompson, Rebecca Thompson, Josiah Thompson, Ryker Thompson, Skylar Hughes, Asa Thompson, Emylee Thompson, Uzziah Thompson, Quynlee Thompson, Lawrence Thompson and Ian Thompson; and numerous great great grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends. Serving as pallbearers will be Matthew Thompson, David Thompson, Peter Thompson, Lawrence Thompson, James Aaron Thompson, Lawrence Ray Thompson III, and Brandon Hughes. Funeral Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, May 5, 2022 at the University Baptist Church in Tyler, Texas with Bro. Larry Thompson officiating. Interment will follow at Red Springs Cemetery.