Merton Daniel “Dan” Thompson, Jr., 72, died Friday, June 2, 2017, following a period of failing health. He was born February 12, 1945, in Claremont to Bernadette (Favreau) and Merton D. Thompson, Sr. He attended local schools, graduating from Stevens High School in 1963. During that time he worked for the McCusker and Davis Funeral Homes. He attended the New England Institute in Boston, MA, and became a funeral director. He entered the Army and became a surgical technician, serving in the US and Germany and returned to Claremont again working for local funeral homes including Newton-Bartlett, Newport, NH, Stringer Funeral Home, and Davis Memorial Chapel, Springfield, VT. For 20 years after that he worked for Deaton-Kennedy servicing funeral homes throughout New England with paper products. For the last two years he has been at Sullivan County Health Care.
He had a great love for Claremont, its history and family connections and knew them so well he was often consulted. He enjoyed driving, never needed a map (even in Germany), and always ran into someone he knew (even in Germany!). He liked to invent new descriptive words and accents to entertain his children and was a huge fan of Inspector Clouseau (Pink Panther), Smokey and the Bandit and ABBA. Mornings found him waking the children to bugle reveille, followed by serving them breakfast in bed. He’d then have breakfast with his parents every morning and cared for his dad when he was later failing. He learned and coached Community Center soccer for eight years thanks to Vic and was proud they finally won the championship in year 8. He swam and skied from childhood on and picked up golf late in life, enjoying the camaraderie. He was a kind, gentle man who always had time to talk and listen to anyone.
He is survived by his wife, Kathy (Wiegele) Thompson, daughters Amy St. Pierre (late husband John), Canaan, NH, and Ann Thompson, W. Lebanon, NH, and grandson Jack St. Pierre. Also his sister Ellen (David) Adams, Walpole, NH, and two nephews.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Mary Church on Wednesday, morning, June 7th, at 11 AM.
Interment will follow in West Claremont Burying Grounds.
The Stringer Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
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