Marlene Joy Thompson

Marlene Joy Thompson, 87, of Beaufort, SC, died Thursday, October 31, 2024 at The Resort of Beaufort.
Memorial service will be held on Tuesday, November 26, 2024 at 2:00pm in Eason Memorial Baptist Church in Eastover, SC. She will be interred in Eason Memorial Baptist Church Cemetery.
Mrs. Thompson was born on June 23, 1937 in Tulsa, OK. She is the daughter of the late Frank C. Marlow and Leota J. Atchley Marlow.
Marlene loved her family and many friends that she made through all stages of her life. She was a small feisty woman that was often referred to as "not short but fun size". Marlene started her adult life and married Robert (Bob) Whitlock in 1954. The couple had two children while living in Oklahoma before moving to Arizona in 1961. Marlene gave birth to a son in 1963 who was born with a heart complication and died after only 12 days. A healthy third son was born in 1965. The family returned to Oklahoma in 1968. After her three children were adults, Marlene divorced and was remarried to Robert (Bob) Thompson in 1985. The couple lived in Guthrie, Oklahoma until 2008 when they moved to South Carolina. Marlene was widowed in 2015.
Throughout her working life, Marlene enjoyed working with the public. She worked in retail and selling home interior products, lighting and plumbing fixtures. She eventually started her own home interior company. Marlene was an artist and enjoyed acrylic paints. Later in her career, she opened "Totally Unique" a gift store in the tourist city of Guthrie, Oklahoma where she sold her artistry along with other local artists' offerings. Marlene enjoyed this work until retiring to South Carolina in 2008.
Marlene followed Jesus Christ in baptism as an older child. She was an active member of the United Brethren Fellowship while in Arizona, before joining several Baptist churches and a Methodist church during her return to Oklahoma. While living in South Carolina, she was a member and regular attender at Eason Memorial Baptist Church, Eastover.
Preceding her in death is her husband, Robert D. Thompson and son, Richard Joseph Whitlock. Surviving are two sons, Robert Whitlock and Ben Whitlock; one daughter, Penny Hurley; nine grandchildren and eighteen great grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to Eason Memorial Baptist Church of Eastover, SC or The Salvation Army, a favorite charity of hers.