Paul Stephenson Thompson

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Paul Stephenson Thompson

Hurricane, Utah

Our remarkable husband, father, grandfather and friend, Paul Stephenson Thompson, 90, returned to the God he loved as well as many loved ones on August 20, 2016 in Hurricane. Paul was taken from us suddenly after a joy-filled day spent working, laughing, and joking with family and friends. The world has lost a mountain.

Paul was the youngest child born to William Leslie and Eva Merinda Stephenson Thompson on March 15, 1926, in Aurora Utah. His was a home of little means but one filled with great love, faith and hard work. No one loved family more than Paul did. His early years were spent in Aurora in school, farming with his father and siblings and adventuring on the back of his horse, Old Dime, with his dog, Scottie often sitting right behind him. Paul’s family moved to Provo in 1942, where he graduated from Provo High School in 1944.

Paul attended Brigham Young University where he was a class officer and played on the varsity basketball and tennis teams from the fall of 1944 to February of 1946. This began his life-long passion for all things BYU, and right to the day he passed away, he was dressed in BYU sweats, shirt and ball cap.

Paul served an honorable LDS mission in the North Central States Mission where he made life-long friends with those he taught and loved. These devoted friendships now span three generations.

Paul returned to finish his degree in Pharmacy from the University of Idaho Southern Branch (ISU) and graduated in June of 1953. The highlight of his career in pharmacy was owning Pauls’ Pharmacy in Pocatello, Idaho where his personal touch with each customer was his hallmark and included delivering prescriptions to those too sick or weak to come to the pharmacy. He moved to Richfield, Utah in 1976, where he worked at Hall’s Drug and finished out the last 17 years of his career as the pharmacist at Sevier Valley Hospital.

Paul married Marilyn Grace Thompson in the Idaho Falls Temple on June 6, 1951. They were blessed with six children: Stephanie (Dennis) Ransom, Paula Standifird, Bradley Paul (deceased), Annette, Leslie (Larry) Jenkins, and Stephen (Janette). Marilyn was called back to heaven on September 18, 1968. One of earth’s true angels, Marba Cottle Pearson, entered Paul’s life later that year and they were married in the Logan Temple, which added Marba’s daughter, Leanne (Danny) Worwood to the family. Alan Evan (Sarah) was born to this marriage. Later, Jason (Ouida) Taylor became a son and brother to the Thompson family through the Indian Placement Program. Marba and Paul were devoted to each other and Mom rarely left Dad’s side. His last words were of love and gratitude to Marba and to his children and grandchildren.

A life-long member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Paul had an unwavering testimony and love for the Savior and he found great joy in sharing and teaching the gospel. At 90 years old, he continued to teach the high priests in his Hurricane ward. He served as a missionary, teacher, bishop in the Pocatello, Idaho 25th Ward, as well as a counselor in the stake presidency in the North Pocatello Stake. Paul and Marba were richly blessed to serve together in the Ohio Columbus and Nauvoo, Illinois Missions. Paul and Marba’s performance of Old Mother Hubbard in Nauvoo is legendary.

Even as Paul’s health declined, he and Marba pushed themselves to travel miles to support their children and grandchildren at performances, weddings, graduations, mission farewells and homecomings. The bar they set as grandparents and great-grandparents is unparalleled. Their fourth grade history trips with grandchildren will never be forgotten.

Paul also found great joy in his matched Arabian horses, Barr and Zarr. They and the reconditioned buggy they were trained to pull were in many parades in Idaho and Utah.

On the day he died, Paul’s huge personality, wit and humor shined. Paul loved people and people loved him. It didn’t matter where you traveled, someone knew and recognized Paul S. Thompson.

Paul is survived by his wife, Marba; children; 38 grandchildren and 38 great- grandchildren. He was also preceded in death by his parents and each of his revered brothers and sisters: Elaine (Lynn) Nielsen, Homer (Lil), Edith (Ken) Harward, Dan (Rae), Alma (Aldena), Rose (Francis) Winkel, and Joy (Einar) Johnson.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, August 27, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. in the Hurricane Stake Center, 677 South 700 West, Hurricane, where friends may call Friday from 6-8 p.m. and Saturday for close friends and family from 8:00 - 9:30 a.m. Burial in the Provo, Utah Cemetery at 5:00 p.m. Funeral Directors: Magleby Mortuary.