Mrs. Agnes M. Thompson

LENOX, MA—Agnes Moore Thompson, 91, died on December 5, 2020, in Lenox, MA, while in isolation and under care for COVID-19. Family held her in their thoughts with the heart-wrenching hope she felt their love. Agnes was born on March 18, 1929 in North Adams, MA, to Charles Jacob Moore and Helen Langham Moore. She grew up, a cheerful child, on several upstate NY dairy farms, the last being the popular Langmore Farm and Dairy Bar, Clums Corners, NY. In 1946 she graduated from Averill Park High School, Averill Park, NY, where she excelled in math and science. In 1947 Agnes, undeterred by mid-century gender roles, enrolled at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, to pursue a BS in Chemical Engineering. At the award of her 1951 diploma, she was among the earliest women to graduate from that institution. Agnes met her husband, John (Jack) R. Thompson, Jr., a fellow RPI student, on her 18th birthday. They married on February 3, 1951 at the St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church in Troy, NY. Accepting jobs in New York City, Agnes an engineering position in the Manhattan, NY, offices of Cluett Peabody, the newly married couple settled in Queens, NY. Agnes held her engineering post until the birth of their first daughter. She and Jack enjoyed raising three girls, Amy, Maureen and Lesliejohn, in a home filled with love, laughter, books, music and art. Work opportunities landed Agnes and Jack in Ossining, NY, Towanda, PA, and Clums Corners, NY, during their long and happy marriage. While in Pennsylvania, Agnes reentered the workforce as an educator. She earned an MS in Education from Elmira College, Elmira, NY and taught advanced mathematics at Towanda High School, Towanda, PA, and Tamarac Middle and High School, Troy, NY. She retired from teaching in 1985. As a reflection of her ability to foster passion for math and convey genuine interest in her students, many maintained contact with her after her retirement. She was also active in the New York State Retired Teachers Association and held officer positions in her local chapter. Retired, Agnes and Jack, always a tight team, self-trained as cyclists and took part in US and European bicycle tours. They became avid campers and went on extended cross-country trips throughout the United States. They visited all 50 states, including Alaska and Hawaii. At home they gardened and raised several Bouvier de Flanders—most of them named Andre. Agnes took pride in fostering a close family dynamic so, in her later years, her daughters, grandchildren and great grandchildren were an important part of her life. Long, informative phone calls and funny texts were frequent; visits were often. Two of her great-grandchildren inherited her mathematical proclivity, and that tickled her. In 2004, Agnes and Jack moved to Lenox, MA, making Kimball Farms Retirement Community their last home. Agnes was a brilliant, thoughtful, and resolutely independent woman. Aside from her prodigious skill in mathematics, she had talents in music, having taught piano for several years, cooking, computing, and encouraging orchids, a favorite flower, to bloom. She was an avid non-fiction reader and had a fantastic ability to understand and discuss a wide spectrum of complex subjects. Agnes is predeceased by her husband and a grandson, Jacob Loucka. Carrying forward wonderful memories of Agnes are her daughters and their husbands, Amy Thompson West and Nils Westerlund, Las Cruces, NM, Maureen and Tom Phillips, Ashland, OR, and Lesliejohn and Jim Roche, Lenox, MA. Grandchildren are Gretchen (Loucka) Harris, Tucker Roche, Magda Rose (Phillips) Paz and Trevin Philips. Her great grandchildren, many of whom got to know their great grandmother, are Lupin and Escher Paz, Aymeric, Audrey and Agatha Harris, and Mae and Margot Phillips. Agnes’ family and friends will fete her for many years to come, for she was a unique lady. In the coming year family will celebrate her accomplished and beautiful life at private ceremonies in Lenox, MA, and at her favorite ocean-side spot in Bar Harbor, ME. In remembrance of Agnes’ life, the family asks that any charitable donations be made to the Berkshire Humane Society, https://berkshirehumane.org/, or the charity of your choice.

Mrs. Agnes M. Thompson

March 18, 1929 - December 5, 2020