Mary J. (Bachman) Thompson

Mary Judith (Bachman) Thompson passed away peacefully in her sleep Monday April 6 2026 after ten months of wonderful care at home with Emanuel Hospice.

She was born October 15, 1942 in Grand Rapids and lived 83 delightful years. In 1963 she and Bill Thompson were married at Fountain Street Church in the magnificent Sanctuary there. Mary began at Fountain Street Church in 1948 with her parents when she was five years old and spent 78 years there, half of the 156 years since the church began.

Mary graduated from Fountain Grade school, Central High School and Kendall College of Art. She loved art and began working in the advertising department at the Lansing State Journal Newspaper until she began her motherhood with our daughter Lisa. We moved back to Grand Rapids after Bill finished Michigan State and when the kids got into grade school Mary decide to go back to college and get a degree in Recreational Therapy and then worked at Kent Community Hospital in the therapy department for ten years.

She went to work with Campfire Girls and spent several years there until she was asked to join the staff at Fountain Street Church to run programs for senior members, schedule outside for the church and being a chef in the kitchen for luncheons.

Our three children all live in Grand Rapids and Rockford and we have been blessed with ten grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren.

A Memorial Service will be held at Fountain Street Church on Saturday May 23, 2026 11:00 AM with a reception following in the Social Hall.

She would love instead of flowers, donations made to the Fountain Street Church Foundation, Meijer Gardens or Planned Parenthood.

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