Terence D. Thompson

"That so few dare to be eccentric, marks the chief danger of the time." John Stuart Mill

Terence “Terry” D. Thompson died January 7, 2025, at home in Aurora, CO, two days prior to his 75th birthday.

Prior to retirement, he was a public accountant for more than 35 years.

He is survived by his children: daughter and son-in-law Monica and Christopher Slater of Englewood, CO, and son and daughter-in-law Matthew and Brandilynn Thompson of Greeley, CO, step-son and step-daughter-in-law Gregory and Camille Choate, of Spring Valley, CA, and step-son Charles Choate; and his grandchildren: John Quincy and James Thompson of Greeley, CO, Sebastian, Abigail, and Jessica Slater of Englewood, CO, and step-granddaughter and step-granddaughter-in-law Krista and Flora Choate, of Evergreen, CO. Also surviving are his four siblings: brother and sister-in-law Jon and Donna Thompson of Omaha, NE, brother and sister-in-law Jeffrey and Anna Thompson of Collierville, TN, brother Joel Thompson of Rifle, CO, and sister Melanie Halford of Albuquerque, NM, as well as numerous nieces and nephews and extended family.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Sally (Gorham) Thompson of Glenwood Springs, CO. As per his wishes, a private burial was held at the Olinger Eastlawn Cemetery in Aurora, CO.

Terry was born in Elyria, OH. At the age of eight, his family moved west to Glenwood Springs, CO. Terry graduated from high school in Glenwood Springs in 1968. He double majored in Business Administration and Accounting and received his bachelor’s degree from Western State College in Gunnison, CO in 1973.

After college he returned to Glenwood Springs where he worked for other accountants for a year or two before opening his own public accounting practice.

In 1976 Terry married Mary Katherine “Kay” (Caswell) Choate in Glenwood Springs. They had two children together, Monica and Matthew Thompson. They divorced in 1987.

Terry moved to Washington state in 1988. There he met and married Trenna Surgeon in 1990. They moved to Glenwood Springs in 1993 where he reopened his public accounting practice. Terry and Trenna separated in 2005 and divorced in 2007.

In 2005 Terry closed his accounting practice and moved to the Denver area to be closer to his children and grandchildren. Terry was an avid reader, an eccentric, and a dreamer.

He valued simplicity. Terry was a talented musician and songwriter who often shared stories of his days with The Shades of Brass.

He strongly admired Sir Winston Churchill and John Stuart Mill. While he spent a career in accounting, Terry was passionate about family history and had a lifelong love for heraldry and genealogy.

He was a member of the Connecticut Genealogy Society. He designed multiple family coats of arms and registered them with the American Heraldry Society, the Heraldry Society of Southern Africa, and the Russian College of Heraldry.

At the time of his passing, he was pursuing a coat of arms in England. He leaves a legacy of painstakingly researched family history.

In lieu of flowers, please leave a generous tip to your restaurant wait staff, a practice he felt strongly about.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, July 19, 2025 from 2-4PM at the Glenwood Springs Community Center, 100 Wulfsohn Road, Glenwood Springs, Colorado 81601. Please RSVP to Monica Slater by July 11th at [email protected].