Mary Patricia Thompson

Mary Patricia Flannigan Thompson, age 90, passed away on March 31, 2021 in Austin Texas.  She was born on July 20, 1930 in St. Paul, Minnesota to Gertrude M. and William J. (Pat) Flannigan.

Mary was an adventurous girl who loved to travel.  She would accompany her father across the U.S. in his private rail car as he performed his duties as safety superintendent of the Northern Pacific Railroad.  She loved to tell stories of their adventures.  At the age of 6, she was watching a motorcade with President Roosevelt on the streets of St. Paul when she saw her father in the car with the President.  She escaped her nanny, jumped in the car and asked the President why he had a blanket over his legs.

Mary attended Nativity Grade School, Derham Hall Preparatory School to St. Catherine’s College, and graduated from Belle Plaine High School after moving to Belle Plaine, MN upon her father’s death.  After graduation, she worked for the Great Northern Railroad in St. Paul and continued her travels.

In 1958, Mary married Keith R. Thompson in St. Paul, MN and thus began a life of 60 years of happiness.  They lived in Elgin, ND where Keith was a dentist in private practice.  As Keith transitioned to chief of the dental service at the VA, the family moved to Big Spring, TX in 1967 and then to Temple, TX in 1976.

Mary held a broker’s license and sold real estate for several years before becoming executive director of the Temple-Belton Board of Realtors.  After retiring, Mary became very active in her church.  She was president of the St. Luke Women’s Society, president of the Killeen-Temple Deanery, built the columbarium at St. Luke’s, and served as treasurer and president of the Austin Diocesan Council of Catholic Women.  In 2006, Mary and Keith received the Lumen Gentium Award from the Diocese of Austin in recognition of their volunteer work.

Mary and Keith loved to travel so they frequently cruised around the world.  After Keith died in 2019, Mary took her last trip to the UK with her daughter and granddaughter.  As they drove over 1,000 miles across England and Scotland, she regaled them with genealogy and history lessons.

Mary is preceded in death by her husband Keith, son Coleman (Mary Jacque), brother James P. Flannigan (Paula), and sister Elizabeth F. Boyle.  She is survived by son Steven (Kathleen) of Ingram, TX and daughter Elizabeth Cook (Chuck) of Austin, TX; grandchildren Jonathan Thompson (Karen), Richard Thompson, Catherine Cook, Charles Cook, Lauren Abel (Casey), Scott Hollis and great granddaughters Hudson Rose Abel and Hollis Rene Abel.

A Recitation of the Holy Rosary will be held at 7pm on Thursday, April 15 at St. Luke Catholic Church in Temple, TX.  Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11am on Friday, April 16 at St. Luke Catholic Church, Temple, TX.

In lieu of flowers, a donation in Mary’s name may be made to the Clerical Endowment Fund of the Austin Diocesan Council of Catholic Women c/o Treasurer, Donna Hughes, P.O. Box 93, Bastrop, TX 78602, or a charity of your choice.

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