Sally M. Thompson

BINGHAM TOWNSHIP - Sally Martin Thompson, born on September 15, 1949, in Tokyo, Japan, peacefully passed away on May 24, 2024, at the age of 74, surrounded by her family.
She is survived by her loving daughters Dawn (Tim) Coon, and Steffanie (Kenneth) Childers; daughter-in-law Beth Gottschall; grandchildren Christopher (Michelle) Coon, Elizabeth (Aric) Browning, Travis (Brett) Coon, Makenna and Charles Childers, Megan and Allie Gottschall; brother John (Debbie) Martin; brother-in-law Phillip (Carol) Thompson; sisters-in-law Jeanne (Norbert) Walther, Denise (Gary) Gildner, and in-laws Cecil and Geneva Thompson. Sally also had a very close bond with her nieces, nephews, and three great-grandsons.
Sally was preceded in death by her parents, Lester and Yoshiko Martin, the love of her life, Cecil (Bruce) Thompson, and her son, Joshua Gottschall.
After a military childhood and early teen years that included time spent in Japan, North Carolina, and Michigan (not to mention a brief stint as a Japanese pop star), Sally started her career as a telephone operator for Michigan Bell. She worked her way up through the ranks by using her bilingual skills to showcase her talents for translation, customer service, sales, and training.
She married Bruce Thompson in Honolulu, Hawaii on June 13, 1985, and they soon made a life for themselves in Illinois. Long before it was cool, they became global digital nomads. However, they never lost sight of their dream to retire close to their children and families back home in Michigan. In 2001, that dream became a reality, and they made a home on West Grand Traverse Bay where they adopted their first of many Bichons, made lifelong friends with their wonderful neighbors, and enjoyed all that the Leelanau Peninsula had to offer.
Sally was a proud and active member of the Traverse City Japanese Heritage Club and the Northport Arts Association. If you were lucky enough to receive one of Sally's wool craft creations, treasure it! They are not only one-of-a-kind, they are priceless pieces of art.
A celebration of Sally's life will be held on Saturday, June 29, 2024, at Martinson's Funeral Home in Suttons Bay, Michigan. The family will receive visitors from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., followed by a short service at 5:30 p.m.
In her memory, please celebrate by wearing your best Hawaiian-inspired, brightly-colored attire. In her words, "no sad clothes"!
Sally will be deeply missed by all who knew her, and her memory will forever live on in the hearts of her family and friends.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to your local animal shelter, make time to spend with your family, or hoist a glass of local wine or a Guinness in Sally's name. She would love any and all of the above!
Please share condolences at www.martinson.info
Arrangements are with the Martinson Funeral Home and Cremation Services of Leelanau.