Racine – May Inga (Heide) Thompson, 94, passed away at Home Harbor on Thursday, October 2, 2020. She was born in Toronto, Canada on November 22, 1925 daughter of the late Henry and Astrid (nee: Jorgenson) Heide.

May was a graduate of the Washington Park High School Class of 1945. On March 20, 1948 she was married in Immanuel Lutheran Church to Vernon Lee Thompson. May worked at Massey Ferguson during the war and at the Racine bus company and later she worked for Racine Unified School District in a number of school offices.

From 1985-2010 she and Vern lived in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas where they participated in card clubs and enjoyed ballroom dancing and golf. They spent their summers at the lake cabin in Wisconsin. They were faithful members of the Lutheran Church of the Resurrection.

We all have big events that shape our lives, but it is the small events, day to day, that build our memories. Our mom was a fun and caring homemaker and our life on Mertens Avenue was a good life. Our mom kept an organized home, cooking and baking and seasonally decorating. She and her close friends took all the kids down to Lake Michigan in the summer. Every summer mom and dad took us up north to our grandparent's cabin. Dad and mom took us fishing and walking in the woods and taught us how to appreciate the simple joys of life. We have years of stories at our family cabin in the northwoods. She believed in family and loved celebrating birthdays and holidays. There was always music in our house, and Vern and May were great dancers. May and Vern cared about others and our parents had many great friends.

We appreciate the staff at Home Harbor who helped May and Vern have a joyful life in their later years with many smiles, music, activities and social connections. They were a part of our family and were fabulous caregivers.

My dad always said "my wife, the love of my life". We are blessed to have had a life with special parents and will miss our mom's smile and sense of humor. She prided herself in being a happy Dane. May is survived by her children, Scott (Julie) Thompson of Duluth, LuAnn (Ray Shindler) Thompson of Cornville, Arizona and Kurt (Jan Lawrence) Thompson of Milwaukee; daughter-in-law, Joan Thompson of Kansasville; grandchildren, Paul (Heather), Ben (Erica), Kelli, Kate (Josh), Erik, and Emily(Cody) and great-grandson, Brock; as well as many other relatives and friends. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Vernon; son, Mark Thompson of Kansasville and her brothers, Henry (Eileen) Heide and Erving Heide.

Services celebrating May's life will be held in Draeger-Langendorf Funeral Home on Wednesday, October 7, 2020 at 4:00 pm. Visitation will be from 3:00 – 4:00 PM. Private interment will take place at Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery. Memorials to Lutheran Church of the Resurrection or to Heifer International have been suggested.