Betty was a pistol!  She was always so generous to the Arlington  County Bar. A classsy lady and I am sorry to hear of her loss.

Dear Betty,
You are my heroine always! You gave me back my life! The very first day I met you the snow was 25" deep; you said....you are the only Client who made it in! Your brilliant mind, your laughter, your wisdom and your experience gave me the confidence to move forward. I just saw you last month in your new offices filled with amazing art work! Congratulations! You looked fabulous as always! You were pleased to see that I was happy, energized and still working at Steinway!You gave me my New Life!I am eternally grateful! God Bless You, Betty! Love, Charlotte

Dearest Betty,You are my heroine! You gave me my new life! You met me on a snowday of 25". You said I was the only Client who made it in that day! Your brilliance, your laughter, your wisdom, your experience gave me the courage to get through the divorce and move on! I just met with you last month and you had just moved to your stunning new offices. Congratulations!You looked fabulous! We laughed and talked and you said that you were so glad to see me happy and energized! You gave me my life back!!! God Bless You, Betty! Your friend, Charlotte

There is so much to say, too much, but I will sum it up by saying that I was blessed to have known Betty and spent time with her.  She will always be in my heart.

My deepest condolences to Betty's family and colleagues.  She dedicated herself to the law, and both the bar and her clients benefited from her commitment to the legal profession.

My sincere condolences to Paula and family, dear friends and colleagues.  Betty was an amazing woman, a truly dedicated and brillant attorney and very dear friend.  In all walks of life Betty lived each day to the fullest with the highest of expectations.  With love, Angie

My condolences to Paula and to all in the firm.  Betty was one of a kind, the top in everything she did.  But perhaps most of all, she will be remembered for her generosity to the Arlington Bar Association and the Arlington Bar Foundation. 
Hospitality was her middle name. She will be dearly missed.

I met Betty some 49 years ago have continued to enjoy a cordial relationship with her over those short years.  We got to know each other better during the years of her duties as President-elect and President of the Arlington County Bar Association as I served as Treasurer.

She was a great lady and an outstanding lawyer and will be missed, but remembered.

I can only say what I am sure everyone else will say: we will truly miss her.  She was a force.  She was a presence.  I doubt that there will ever be anyone else like her.  Somehow it never occurred to me that she might leave us.  It is hard to imagine a world without Betty, but all of us will always carry a little of her with us.

Paula peter and Mia my heart gose out to you. for your lost

You might say Betty and I aged to our shared 88 years together as friends and as "partners" in business endeavors.  She truly was an elegant, intelligent lady who was a continual source of inspiration to me.  My life has been graced by knowing Betty.

There are just a few people who I have met during my life who leave an impression of the best of humanity. Miss Thompson is one of those people. Her reputation was one of the best of the profession. Nothing could prepare me and my family for the empathy, humor, and basic understanding of human nature that she bestowed on us during our first meeting. We had only known her about a month through her representation of our case, but we quote her almost daily now. She made a huge difference in our lives in this short time in terms of this case. We are saddened at the loss of her in our community and selfishly that she won't be guiding us along through our situation. I look forward to more comments through this site and for articles in the newspapers to learn even more about this remarkable attorney who was a pioneer for her profession. It was a wonderful day when she said she would take our case.
Mary Lynn Slayden (Haymarket, VA)

It was wonderful to know you lovely lady. My parents were so fond of you and after meeting you and spending just a short time with you, I knew you were special.  We ladies stuck together then and will always.

Betty Thompson was truly an amazing lawyer and classy woman.  Having worked with her as a court reporter for many years in the past, I was always impressed and in awe of her tenacity and wit.  She was such a good lawyer and a beautiful soul.  RIP, Betty.  We will miss you here on earth. Heaven is lucky to get you.

Joan F. Powers

My father (J.P. Garnier) introduced me to Betty Thompson when I was a summer law clerk in the late 1970s. They had become good friends from back when the Arlington bar was especially close-knit. She was so classy and talented, both in and out of her professional role. When my father passed away in 2009, Betty wrote this kind note:

"It is with extreme sadness that I read about your father's passing.  He was my friend; I loved him. We enjoyed many happy moments discussing the law and lawyers. He was so smart, I learned a lot from him.  He was part of that great group of real trial lawyers, now becoming a dying breed-- how sad."

It is that last line in particular that I wanted to echo here-- Betty surely was one of the most notable members of that "dying breed" of "real trial lawyers." Though I did not know her as well as many, we all have lost a true friend. Sincerest sympathies to all the members of the family, and all her close friends and colleagues.

OBITUARY

Betty Ann Thompson ESQ

Born AUGUST 26, 1924

Murphy Funeral Homes

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