Doris Etta Patton Thompson

Doris was born on August 22, 1936, in Montgomery, Alabama, to the late Queen Esther Patton and Malachi Patton. Her family eventually moved to Dothan, Alabama. She was raised in a loving family and developed an early appreciation for education, hard work, and helping others. She graduated from Carver High School in Dothan in 1954 and continued her education at Tennessee State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Education in 1957.

Following her graduation, Doris dedicated herself to the field of education and library sciences. Between 1957 and 1969, she resided in Georgia and Florida and served students and communities through her work at several educational and healthcare institutions, including Monitor High School, Florida A&M Hospital, Dunbar High School, and Edward Waters College. Her commitment to learning and her passion for nurturing young minds would become hallmarks of her life's work.

In 1969, Doris moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, where she married Dr. Jerome Thompson. Together they built a loving home and shared a marriage of 56 years marked by partnership, faith, and family. Their union was blessed with two children, Leland Thompson and Joyce Thompson-Mills.

Never content to stop learning, Doris continued her educational journey and earned a Master of Science degree in Library Science from Atlanta University in 1971. Doris continued her distinguished career as an educator with the Indianapolis Public School System, where she faithfully served generations of students and administrators from 1969 until her retirement in 1994. Colleagues, students, and parents alike admired her intelligence, professionalism, and compassionate spirit.

Faith was a cornerstone of Doris's life. From 1971 until 2015, she was a faithful member of Meridian Street United Methodist Church in Indianapolis. In 2015, she transferred her membership to St. Luke's United Methodist Church, where she continued to worship and nurture her spiritual journey.

Doris found joy in the simple pleasures of life. She was an avid reader who could often be found with a good book in hand or reading her devotional journals. She enjoyed challenging herself with games of solitaire, playing spirited rounds of online euchre, and searching for treasures while consignment shopping or going to estate sales. Most of all, she cherished spending time with her family and friends, creating memories filled with laughter, conversation, and love.

She leaves to cherish her precious memory her devoted husband, Jerome Thompson of Indianapolis, Indiana; her son, Leland Thompson of Burbank, California; her daughter, Joyce Thompson-Mills of Avon, Indiana; her beloved son-in-law, Bret Mills; her sisters, Ruth McClain of Dothan, Alabama, and Mildred Patton of Las Vegas, Nevada; one niece, 5 nephews, a brother-in-law, and a host of extended relatives, neighbors, and dear friends whose lives were touched by her kindness, wisdom, and grace.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Queen Esther Patton and Malachi Patton, as well as her brother and sister-in-law Michael and Stella Patton, and a brother-in-law, Roy McClain.

Doris lived a life characterized by quiet strength, intellectual curiosity, steadfast faith, and genuine compassion. She leaves behind a lasting legacy in the students she inspired, the family she lovingly nurtured, and the many friends who she was blessed to know and who knew her.

Graveside Services will be held at Crown Hill Funeral Home, 700 W. 38th St., Indianapolis, IN 46208, US, on June 25, 2026, at 11:00 am.