MERRY POINT—Paul M. Thompson of Richmond and Merry Point passed away on April 25, 2024.
He is survived by his loving wife, Mary, and his five children and their spouses, Anne Marie Steen (Dan), Patricia Thompson Buff (Chip), Paul Thompson Jr. (Jessica), Tim Thompson (Beth), and Jim Thompson (Alison).
Paul Sr. is also survived by his nine grandchildren, Jacqueline Burrows (Matt), Meredith Dean (Colin), Allie Scott (Chad), Harrison Steen (Gracia), Paul Thompson III and Lacey Thompson, and Jack, Max and Kayleigh Thompson; in addition to four great-grandchildren, Willa Burrows, Evan Dean, Rayland Steen and Robbie Scott.
Paul Sr. was born in 1935 in Dubuque, Iowa, the son of Frank and Genevieve (Cassutt) Thompson. He was the youngest of five children raised in a devout Catholic family. Paul spent the first 21 years of his life in Dubuque working at the family grocery store and pursuing his education. In 1957, he graduated from Loras College with magna cum laude honors.
Later that year, Paul moved to Washington, D.C., to study law at Georgetown Law Center, completing the program in two years. In 1959, he became a published member of the Georgetown Law Review, on which he served.
Soon after passing the Washington, D.C. Bar, Paul entered the United States Air Force as first lieutenant and judge advocate. Paul and Mary were married at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland and were stationed at the Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico. During Paul’s three years of service, he and Mary introduced two young daughters to the world, which was in the grip of the Cold War. Paul never forgot how the Cuban Missile Crisis unfolded just outside of their window as the Air Force prepared for war.
In December 1962, Paul and Mary moved their family to Northern Virginia and welcomed their oldest son. Paul worked as an appellate lawyer with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), where he argued in the Federal Circuit of Appeals.
In what would become a life changing case in Richmond, Paul argued against Hunton & Williams. The firm respected his tenacity and love for the law and recruited Paul into the firm, making him an associate in March 1966. Paul moved the family to Richmond, where he and Mary added two sons, for a total of five children, guaranteeing a future of lively dinner conversations and Thanksgiving football games. In 1971, Paul became the 40th partner at Hunton & Williams. In 1981, he became the head of the Labor and Employment Department, a position he held for the next two decades.
After retiring, Paul worked for the attorney general’s office and taught law at the William & Mary Law School. Two years later Paul took a job at the University of Richmond Law School where he taught employment law and labor law, civil procedure, and created an innovative course that explored labor laws in a dynamic global economy.
In 2013, Paul retired from teaching to spend more time at the family’s house overlooking the Corrotoman River, having never forgotten his roots in Iowa and love for the Mississippi River. Paul and his family shared countless memories fishing and crabbing, celebrating milestones and eating Mary’s renowned home cooking.
Paul was passionate about the local community as well. He served on various organizations including the Bon Secours Foundation, Little Sisters of the Poor, the Northern Neck Land Conservancy, the National Conference of Christians and Jews and the finance council of St. Bridget’s Church. He was also a featured speaker at conferences, most notably at an international law seminar in Zurich, Switzerland, the home of his mother’s ancestors.
Our family would like to thank the wonderful staff at Rappahannock Westminster-Canterbury, whose grace and kindness brought peace and comfort to Paul’s final days with us. We’re forever grateful.
A wake will be held from 6-8 p.m. Friday, May 3, at Currie Funeral Home in Kilmarnock, with a wake service beginning at 7 p.m. A funeral mass will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 4, at St. Francis de Sales Church in Kilmarnock.
