Thompson, Joan C.

Joan C. Thompson, 77, died peacefully on Sunday, June 20, 2010, at Honey Creek Cottage in Swisher following an extended illness. Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Monday, June 28, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Iowa City, with Father Jeff Belger officiating. Visitation will be Sunday from 3 to 7 p.m. at Lensing Funeral Service, 605 Kirkwood Ave., Iowa City, where a rosary will be recited at 3:30 p.m. and a vigil service will begin at 6:30 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the Catholic Community Foundation for Regina, Honey Creek Cottage, or St. Mary's Catholic Church.

Joan was born Oct. 28, 1932, in Charles City, Iowa, the daughter of Frank and Alice (Pospichal) Clark. She grew up in Charles City and was a member of the 1950 graduating class of Immaculate Conception High School. The only child in her large family afforded the opportunity to attend college, Joan graduated in 1954 with a B.S. in pharmacy from the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy. Her long career as a pharmacist began at Nollen's Drug in Newton, where she was taken under wing by Lorraine Nollen. In 1962, she moved to Iowa City for a staff pharmacist position at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, from which she retired as director of Pharmacy Services in 1993.

Professional memberships included the Iowa Pharmacy Association, Iowa Society of Hospital Pharmacists, and the College of Pharmacy Alumni Board.

On Nov. 6, 1954, Joan was united in marriage to Dwight Thompson at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Iowa City. Dwight later passed away in 1957, leaving to his children and to Joan the lasting legacy of his family, whose loving presence and support were constants throughout her life.

Joan was a passionate, energetic and determined person who lived at full speed, and loved life to the fullest. Her favorite childhood memories were of summer times at the family farm along the Cedar River, where she played in the creeks with her cousins, tended the chickens, and cherished the resident pony. As a college student and young adult, she played competitive duplicate bridge, and throughout her life she enjoyed casual card games, reading, gardening, cooking, entertaining, shopping, traveling, fishing, boating, and feeding birds, deer and squirrels. She treasured her cabin on Big Trout Lake in Minnesota, and the wonderful times she shared there in summers with family, friends and neighbors.

Joan's particular passion was music. She was an active, lifelong member of St. Mary's Church, where she sang in the choir for many years. As well, she was famous among her friends for recording and sharing audiotapes of all kinds of music, and for hosting an annual Christmas caroling party, featuring festive sing-a-longs around her grand piano. The sweet and docile side of Joan's nature was choicely revealed in her later years, for which she was known and treasured among the residents and caregivers in her final home at Honey Creek Cottage.

Survivors include her daughter, Faye Thompson of Iowa City; her son, Lon (Kimberly) Thompson of Vernon Hills, Ill.; four grandchildren, Clark, David, Kyle and Michael Thompson, also of Vernon Hills; three sisters, Helen (Eugene) Kuehn of Plymouth, Minn., Huberta (Charles) Prochaska of Findlay, Ohio and Mary Kline of Arlington Heights, Ill.; and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; her three sisters, Carol Clark, Mary Alice Clark and Lorraine Clark; and one brother, Michael Clark.

Online condolences and memories may be left for the family at under obituaries.