Michael R. Thomson

   The heavenly “dessert club” has a new member.  Michael R. Thomson, 86, of Tionesta, PA, died suddenly and unexpectedly on Friday, June 14, 2024 at UPMC Hamot in Erie, PA.  The cause was anaplastic thyroid cancer, a rare and especially aggressive cancer that surrounds the trachea and esophagus making it difficult to swallow and will cut off the ability to breath in as little as two weeks.

    Mike was formerly of St. Louis Missouri and Pittsburgh, PA., and was born on March 27, 1938 in Pueblo, Colorado to the late Harry “Ray” and Mary Catherine (Crum) Thomson.  He was the second of five children.  

   On April 7, 1984 at Heinz Chapel in Pittsburgh he married Joyce C. Milberg who survives.  The couple just celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. 

    Being a pretty smart kid in high school, many times he was asked to take over teaching mathematics to his classmates.  Mike attended college at California Institute of Technology where he earned a degree in Physics…and became a big part of the group that staged practical jokes at the Rose Bowl usually against rival MIT, and in the deserts east of Los Angeles “identifying” UFO’s at the height of the UFO frenzy in the late 50’s.  He went on to UCLA earning his Doctorate Degree (PHD). While at UCLA he worked at an aero-space company earning the nickname rocket scientist. After graduate school he moved to Pittsburgh where he taught at Carnegie Mellon followed by joining the Economics Department at Mellon Bank in the mid 1960’s. He had a long career in banking retiring in 1997 as a senior vice-president for Citibank.  The rocket scientist moniker stuck because he always worked with theoretical systems the banks implemented.

   Being very active and community minded, Mike was a past-president of the Forest County Historical Society and served as King Lion with the Tionesta Lions Club. He was a long time Board member for the Titusville Area Hospital. He was a member and one time Treasurer of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Meadville, PA.  Friends will attest to his quick mathematical mind and his snarky political views.  To this day he was always quick to be a “jokester”, and always open to debate any issue.      

    In addition to his wife Joyce, surviving are his daughter, Michelle Thomson of Boulder, Colorado.  Three sisters, Anne Thomson of Vancouver, British Columbia; Mel Thomson and her husband Bill Wells of Kaslo, British Columbia; Margaret Webb and her husband Bob of Green River, Wyoming.  Numerous nieces and nephews.  Mike is also survived by a daughter-in-law, Lilia Arakelian of Falls Church, Virginia, and a brother-in-law, Steven Sprinz and his wife Yolanda in Arizona.  He will be sadly missed by his canine friends Maggie and Banks. 

   In addition to his parents he was preceded in death by a son, Mark A. Thomson who recently died on April 15, 2024.  He was also preceded in death by a brother, Jake Thomson. 

    Friends will be received at the Norman J. Wimer Funeral Home of Tionesta on Thursday, June 20, 2024 from 4 -7 PM. Tionesta Lions will meet and have a brief service at 5:30 PM on Thursday.  A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 3, 2024 at 1 P.M. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Meadville, 346 Chestnut St, Meadville, PA 16335. 

   Joyce would like to offer special thanks to the Tionesta Ambulance Service and to the Medical Helicopter Team who responded so quickly to Mike’s aid.  Memorial contributions may be made to The Friends of the Tionesta Public Library, P.O. Box 127, Tionesta, PA 16353, the Forest County Historical Society, P.O. Box 546, Tionesta, PA 16353, or to the Tionesta Ambulance Service, P.O. Box 157, Tionesta, PA 16353.