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The Obituary
Miriam Ladson Thompson was born December 7, 1948 in Latta, South Carolina to the late Roosevelt Ladson, and Marietta Hooks. She was the eighth born of nine children and received Christ at an early age, serving in Weston Chapel A.M.E. Church where she was baptized as a child. Her parents married in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and eventually migrated back to South Carolina, where they raised their children in Latta. Miriam graduated from Latimer High School in 1966 in Latta, South Carolina.
She attended Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina where she majored in History. She graduated in 1970, and moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with her older sister Mary Ann Wilson, and began her dedicated teaching career. She went on to pursue her Master’s in Education and graduated from Temple University with that honor in May of 1975. She taught in various middle and high schools, and served as a Social Studies teacher for 36 years for the Philadelphia School District, retiring in 2006 from Charles Carroll High School, where she was such a beloved teacher and colleague. She spent her last 16 years of teaching there at the school facilitating the school’s assembly programs, the annual Fashion Show, ensuring that the young ladies all had a prom dress to wear, and teaching the young people about the importance of getting their education, no matter what.
On his birthday in 1977 during a night out dancing, Miriam met the love of her life, Alvin Thompson on September 21st. The two went on to marry on February 16, 1980. The couple moved into their beloved home on 16th street in the Logan section of Philadelphia, and gave birth to Drew, their first-born son on July 1, 1981. Later, came their twin daughters, Chantay and Raquel born May 4, 1984.
While in Philadelphia, Miriam became a committed member of LaMott A.M.E. Church where she was a member of the Stewardess Board, the Parent Club, and the South Carolina Chorus through the years. She moved on to New Bethel A.M.E. Church of Germantown, but LaMott A.M.E. Church always had her heart.
Miriam was known for her bright smile, her giving heart, and her commitment to education. She laughed, danced, and sang, and loved to cook. She had a heart for entertaining, storytelling, and traveling to Myrtle Beach, S.C. annually. She loved her girls’ trips with her two daughters, her sister, her nieces, and some of her closest girlfriends. She loved to bake her famous 7-UP pound cakes, and to have people enjoy her delicacies. She was known in the community as being Mrs. Miriam, who would insist that every teenager finish up and get their high school diploma, and even ensured that some of the young people made it to school by taking them with her every morning, while they were also students during her tenure at Charles Carroll High School. There was never a time where her front door was closed, or when a friend, family member, neighbor, or her children’s friends couldn’t come in, sit down, have a meal, and get a good laugh with Mrs. Miriam. She loved going to dinner with her husband and ordering lobster, taking car rides with her son, and bragging about her daughters to no end. She loved every moment spent with her precious granddaughter. She was a committed wife, mom, grandmom, sister, friend, and educator. If you knew her, there was no shortage of unpredictable conversations, and a welcoming personality that lights up a room with ease. A woman of smiles and a bit of sass, Miriam was truly a fan favorite.
She is survived by her loving husband of over 42 years, Alvin Thompson; her pride and joy of a son, Drew Thompson of Philadelphia, PA.; her daughters who were her everything, Chantay Thompson of Silver Spring, MD. and Raquel Thompson of Philadelphia, PA.; her precious granddaughter, Reign Nasya Thompson of Philadelphia, PA.; her esteemed eldest brother, Roosevelt Ladson of Silver Spring, MD; and her best friend, closest confidant, and younger sister, Priscilla Brabham of Philadelphia, PA. Cherishing her memories: brother-in-laws, Vincent Renwick of Colon, Panama, Jimmy Renwick of Norfolk VA., and Antonio Henry of Waukegan, IL; sister-in-law, Hilma Henry of Miramar, FL. Miriam leaves to mourn her, a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and colleagues, as she was truly an unforgettable person.
And so "at rest"' is what we sometimes say,
Of that dear one who gently slipped away;
But she has simply vanished from the earth
To find elsewhere a new and glorious birth,
Lost to our sight a little tearful while
Her tender voice, her quick and eager smile,
But surely as the faithful rising sun
Returns to bless our eyes, so will this one
Be waiting when the dawn of dawns appears,
So put away your sorrow and your tears,
And know that you will see her face to face,
Whose light already shines in that far place.
THE FAMILY
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