Patrick A. Thompson

Patrick A. Thompson, 85, passed away in his Holland, MI home on September 20, 2025. Pat was born on June 19, 1940, to Edward and Helen Thompson and grew up in Norwood Park, Illinois. He was educated at Immaculate Conception Grammar School and Saint Patrick's High School. Growing up, Pat was a highly energetic, actively engaged young man. He excelled in the Boy Scouts and in swimming. A signal of Pat's future was the wide range of continuous jobs he took on from early childhood. He had a knack for convincing employers to trust him for roles and responsibilities for which he had little to no qualifications and often underage (eg. Railroad Switch Operator!) Young Pat literally devoured these opportunities, fascinated by how businesses operated. For college, Pat attended Bellarmine College in Louisville, KY. While a student, he continued to take on a plethora of jobs often to the detriment of his studies. During his sophomore year he met Camille Camilletti who would become the love of his life. Pat and Camy married in 1960. Upon college graduation, Pat, Camy and their newborn son, moved to Chicago Illinois. Pat had previously done summer work at a unique metal stamping company named Drawn Metal Products. The company's owner offered a ground floor opportunity that had broad responsibilities. Pat excelled in this company and became responsible for customer accounts. This entailed extensive travel. One of Pat's regular trips was to a customer located in Holland, Michigan. With no prior notice, Drawn Metal Product's owner informed Pat that he had sold the company to a larger firm. It was then (March 1968) that Pat made a decision that would become the adventure of his lifetime. He, Camy and then two small children moved to Holland, Michigan where Pat founded his own unique metal stamping company. Over the kitchen table, he and Camy coined the name Trans-Matic Mfg. Co. Over the next five decades, Trans-Matic went from a surviving start up to a full-fledged enterprise with international operations. During this time Pat and Camy raised three children, P. J. Thompson (Kristen) of Holland, MI, Karen Groenhof (Phil) of Holland, MI and Matthew Thompson of Melbourne, FL. Pat developed a reputation as a successful entrepreneur, industrialist, and community leader. He served on numerous non-profit as well as private company boards. He assisted several start-ups and even some troubled companies with advice and at times needed capital. Pat had a passion for educating the trades and was the benefactor to the Patrick A. Thompson M-Tec Center in Holland. He was equally passionate for the support of the truly needy of our community and was a continuous source of anonymous financial support. Pat maintained a special bond with the employees (and many retirees) of Trans-Matic. If you knew or even met Pat, you experienced the vigor of a true leader. He was generative in almost every aspect of his life. He was a voracious reader who keenly studied business, economics and world affairs. He enjoyed golf, dabbled with boating, and was a life-long football fan. For several of their later years, Pat and Camy enjoyed a winter home in Naples, FL. There they engaged with some of their most cherished friends made during years of involvement with the Precision Metalforming Association. Pat was preceded in death by his wife Camy in 2019 after 58 years of marriage. He will be warmly remembered by his children, his sister Sheila Phillps (Creighton) of Bonita Springs, FL as well as his beloved nieces, nephews other extended family. The Thompson family will host a visitation on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, from 4:00-7:00pm at Langeland Sterenberg Yntema, 315 East 16th Street, Holland, MI 49423. A funeral mass will be celebrated on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, starting at 11:00am at Saint Francis De Sales Church, 171 W. 13th Street, Holland, MI 49423.