Clarice Underwood Thompson

Clarice Underwood Thompson

Clarice Underwood Thompson died peacefully at Cokesbury Retirement Village on November 11th after a bout with Covid 19. She was born in Danville, Virginia, in 1930 to Walter and Allie Underwood. She attended Averett University and later graduated from the University of Richmond with a bachelor's degree in Chemistry. She married her husband, Gene Thompson, in 1953. In the early years of their marriage, she worked for the University of Tennessee. After her husband went to work for DuPont in Kinston, North Carolina, she worked in DuPont's Dacron Research Laboratory. The couple had two children, a son, Robert G. Thompson, Jr, and a daughter, Laura Catherine Howden.

To her husband, Clarice will be remembered for her love and enduring support throughout 67 years of marriage. To others, she will be remembered for her unfailing caring and kindness, her ready smile, her charming southern sensibility, her solid integrity, and her strong sense of responsibility to her family, community, and church. She was committed to life-long growth for herself and for others. A dear friend described her in one beautiful sentence: "She is one of the most gracious persons I have ever known, and her candor and sense of humor make her irresistible." Clarice was a long-time member of First and Central Presbyterian Church, where she was a Deacon and Stephens Minister. She was a careful listener in informal one-on-one "counseling" sessions, and she was a trained Contact Crisis Hotline counselor. In her earlier years, she was a gourmet-level cook with a southern flair for things such as pecan pie, coconut-pineapple cake, and oven-fried chicken. Along with her husband, she was an avid gardener who had an eye for beauty.

In her later years, Clarice enjoyed new friends and activities at Cokesbury Retirement Village. She is survived by her husband Gene, daughter Laura, son-in-law David, son Robert, daughter-in-law Debra, and three grandchildren, Bryce, Olivia, and Sophie. Arrangements are pending. The family wishes to express heart-felt thanks to Cokesbury hospice and the staff of Memory Care for their loving care. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to First and Central Presbyterian Church, 1101 Market Street, Wilmington, DE 19801.