Swartz Creek View

Jim & Katie: Celebrating family on Valentine’s Day … every day

Real love stories never have endings



 

 

SWARTZ CREEK — Speaking in a sweet Irish brogue, and with a twinkle in his eye, Jim Thompson recites his wife’s maiden name. “Katie O’Connor,” he says with a smile. “Katie O’Connor.”

The Thompsons, who have touched the hearts of easily thousands of area residents over the years, celebrated their 56th anniversary Jan. 26.

The Swartz Creek couple is best known as founders of the community theatre troupe Center Stage, where Katie has served as director and producer for 39 years. Jim, after retiring from Michigan School for the Deaf, also worked at the alternative high school, and was involved with various basketball programs.

Through it all, the Thompsons have worked as a team, encouraging and supporting each other, as well as many who have graced their court and stage.

“Theater was my passion,” said Katie. “And he’s always been there. Basketball was his main interest. I’ve probably seen several thousand basketball games.”

 

 

“When she was expecting the twins, I was coaching an AAU college team,” said Jim. “She kept score for us and she’d rest the book on her tummy. She became a very good scorekeeper, too.”

Jim and Katie grew up in adjacent neighborhoods in northwest Detroit. He was the oldest of six children, she the youngest of 10. They attended different schools: Katie going to St. Mary of Redford, Jim to St. Francis de Sales.

When Jim became president of the St. Francis senior class, he forged a friendship with Katie’s older brother, Tim, who was president of St. Mary’s senior class. So, Jim and Katie knew each other for a while before Katie went off to study theater at St. Mary Notre Dame.

One day, when Katie was home from college, she answered a knock at the door.

“(Jim) was standing there, and I told him Tim wasn’t home, and he said, ‘I came to see you,’” Katie recalls.

She wasn’t sure what to make of that at first, but she agreed to go out with this dashing red-headed Irishman.

The Thompsons’ first date was a moonlight cruise on the Boblo boat.

“That was the place to be back then,” Katie said, adding that it was a very romantic evening. “It was intended to be,” Jim said.

“He’s very romantic when he wants to be,” Katie responded.

Jim said he knew, that night, that Katie was the one for him. He chose the following St. Patrick’s Day to propose.

“We had gone to a party, and we left early; and he proposed in the car,” Katie said. “I don’t remember exactly what he said. But then we went to my house and he asked my dad. My dad – he always had a twinkle in his eye and a cigar in his mouth – he said, ‘You can have her, and her dental bills.’ I guess he had just finished paying for some expensive dental work. Typical Irishman … everything’s a joke. Jim has my dad’s blarney.”

Jim said Katie first caught his eye because “she has such spirit,” but he also loved her family. That’s important when two people are building a life together.

“I’ve seen it play out in following generations,” Katie said.

“We strongly believe in family,” Jim said.

Once a month, the Thompsons have a “celebration Sunday” during which the family – which has grown to include six children and 14 grandchildren – gathers for dinner and to celebrate anniversaries, birthdays and accomplishments.

“Anyone who is in town shows up,” said Katie.

It was that family togetherness and teamwork that helped the Thompsons through a frightening an uncertain time.

They had decided, early in their relationship, that they wanted at least six children and they wanted to start their family right away.

“We wanted to be young parents,” Katie said. “We wanted to do the camping trips, the bike trips.”

In the early years, the family moved around as Jim worked and pursued higher education. He went to the University of Dayton, the University of Toledo and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Detroit and Flint. He earned bachelor and master of science degrees in education, and landed a job at Michigan School for the Deaf. They bought a farm in Morrice, where they had horses, chickens, a pig and a strawberry patch.

But in 1973, Katie began to suffer from a mysterious health problem.

“I lost weight, I couldn’t sleep, I was shaking,” Katie said. She was weak and had migraines.

Doctors advised Jim to get Katie away from the farm. So, they decided to move to Swartz Creek.

“We didn’t want to live in a city after the country,” said Katie. “We wanted the best of both worlds.”

It took doctors a year to diagnose Katie with hyperthyroidism and begin to manage her condition.

“It was very scary,” she said.

“I thought I was going to lose her,” said Jim. “I don’t know what I would have done, probably have a nervous breakdown. But the kids all helped. We taught them how to do every job in the house. We always believed in sharing the load as a family. We learned that with our families. That’s what it’s about. It’s a 50/50 arrangement. You take a vow and share the load. And we passed that on to our children.”

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