Rick Thompson

Rick Thompson, of Wattsville, VA, passed away on Thursday, May 22, 2025, at TidalHealth Peninsula Regional Hospital in Salisbury, MD.
Born on November 15, 1952, in Nassawadox, VA, Rick was the son of F.A. and Gladys Thompson. From an early age, he was full of curiosity-always asking questions and determined to find the answers. That natural inquisitiveness would become a defining trait throughout his life and serve him well during his career as an electronics technician with Northrup Grumman at NASA, where he traveled the world wiring rockets.
Rick grew up in Belle Haven, VA, and graduated from Central High School in 1970. He began working for his father's construction company before enlisting in the U.S. Air Force in 1974. After serving honorably until 1979, Rick took his talents to Wallops in 1980, where he would spend the bulk of his career. His work carried him to faraway places-Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Brazil-and in each new place, he found adventure, humor, and a story to bring back home. (Like the time he ordered a "pizza with everything" in Brazil-and got one topped with lima beans.)
Though he traveled the globe, his heart was always with his children, Melissa and Ryan. Rick believed deeply in their potential, encouraging them to aim high-so high, in fact, that he engraved their names into a rocket he was wiring and quite literally sent them into space. To his kids, he wasn't just a father-he was a superhero with a badge and VIP access to the hidden gems of Wallops Island. They'll never forget the beach trips, the laughter, and the pride they felt walking beside a dad who always seemed a little larger than life.
Rick had an irreverent sense of humor, an endless curiosity, and a laid-back cool that made everyone feel at ease. He loved fishing, snow, and '70s and '80s music (what his kids lovingly dubbed "mom rock"). He was always up for lunch at Lin's or the Island House, especially if seafood was involved-crabs and oysters in any form were his weakness. And while his family would occasionally roll their eyes at his love for Star Trek or Stargate, those shows were just part of his endless fascination with space and the unknown.
Though he claimed not to be a cat person, Rick's big heart often won out. When he found a stranded kitten along the causeway to Chincoteague, he rescued it without hesitation-and true to his tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, he named the kitty "Causeway."
Rick is survived by his greatest joys-his children, Melissa Thompson of Greenbackville, VA, and Ryan Thompson of Wattsville, VA; sisters, Victoria Thompson of Belle Haven, VA, and Pamela Hopkins of Virginia Beach, VA; brother, Keith Thompson (Michaelene Thompson) of Colorado Springs, CO; nieces, Lindsey Cohn, Brittany Hopkins, Jessica Napolitano, and Lauren Thompson; and rescue kitty, Causeway. His family described him as a "gentle soul -- forever young," and to say he will be missed tremendously is an understatement.
He was preceded in death by his parents, F.A. and Gladys Thompson.
A Celebration of Life service honoring Rick's life will be held graveside at Belle Haven Cemetery on Saturday, June 7, 2025, at 1:00 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Williams Funeral Home, P.O. Box 1, Parksley, VA 23421, to assist with funeral expenses.
Memory tributes may be shared with the family at www.williamsfuneralhomes.com.
Arrangements by the Williams-Parksley Funeral Home.
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