Gwen Thompson passed away peacefully with her daughter Diane and granddaughters Kimberly and Kelly at her side on December 11, 2014. She was born in Chadron, Nebraska on July 16, 1922 to George and Hilda Fox. Gwen's family moved to Deming, Washington in the 1930's and she graduated from Mt. Baker High School in 1940. She married Al Thompson, the one true love of her life, in 1942 and they spent most of their married life in the Seattle area. In 1984 they retired and moved to Skagit Valley. Al passed away in 2009 and Gwen moved to independent living at Mt. Glen Retirement Community in Mt. Vernon where she was living at the time of her death. Gwen is survived by her son Richard (Vicki) of John Day, Oregon, grandson Jon (Marty) of Seattle, great-grandchildren Eric and Anna; daughter Diane of Seattle, granddaughter Kim (Dave) Sheets of Bothell, great grandson Sam, granddaughter Kelly (Scott) McRory of San Francisco, California, great grandsons Will and Matthew as well as her favorite sister-in-law Alice Stiyer of Bellevue Washington. Gwen was loved and will be missed by all who knew her. One of her friends wrote in a Christmas card this year, "You have such a gift for making folks feel good." She was thoughtful, kind, gracious, dressed impeccably, had a great sense of humor and witty intelligence. She had a lot of spunk and sparkle even in her 90"s. Gwen and Al were lifelong Husky fans and enjoyed watching the Mariners. She was an avid reader of both fiction and nonfiction, read two daily papers voraciously sending appropriate clippings to family members, and kept in touch on Facebook and email. Gwen was an accomplished cook and hostess creating a comfortable atmosphere that made guests feel welcome. Her favorite roles in life were wife, mother, and grandmother. Gwen lived a life of gratitude for her family, friends, and the wonderful experiences she and Al shared. A celebration of Gwen's life will be held on Friday, January 9, 2015, at Mt. Vernon First United Methodist Church, 1607 E. Division Street, Mt. Vernon, WA at 1:30 PM. Gwen would love contributions in her memory to organizations she supported: Friendship House http://www.skagitfriendshiphouse.org or Mt. Vernon First United Methodist Church http://www.mvfumc.org