Edwin “Ed” Thompson, a former lawyer who switched careers to become a reference librarian at the Free Library of Springfield Township (FLST), died suddenly on Thursday, June 19, at age 75 of cardiac arrest at Chestnut Hill Hospital.
Thompson’s wife Margie said she was shocked by the sudden onset of his illness. “Ed took care of himself and had a personal trainer,” she said.
Mary Lou Hughes, reader services coordinator at FLST, told the Local, “Ed's sudden death is a huge shock to the FLST community. It's surreal, honestly. I keep expecting to hear him come in the building with a snack for the staff or flowers for the front desk. He was a loquacious man, an avid reader and amateur woodworker. I know Ed would want us to keep reading, keep learning and keep exploring new topics.”
Thompson was born Nov. 12, 1949, in the Lawncrest section of Philadelphia to the late Edwin and Kathleen Thompson. He was the older brother of Anthony Thompson and the late Patrick Thompson. He graduated from Cardinal Dougherty High School and went to Penn State Ogontz, where he met Margie. Both then attended Penn State's main campus, where Ed was a history major.
After college, Thompson enlisted in the Army, was accorded Conscientious Objector status and served as a medic in Germany and several U.S. bases between 1969-1971. “Ed had a blue collar background,” said Margie, “but he really opened up in the Army by meeting and getting to know men from different walks of life from all over the U.S.”
After the military, Thompson attended Capital University Law School in Columbus, Ohio, and after graduating worked for the Ohio Attorney General's Office. He continued to practice law but retired from at the unusually young age of 41 in 1990.
“Ed loved books and loved learning,” said Margie, “so he went to work for Gene's Books in King of Prussia and then Borders Bookstore in Center City.”
Thompson decided to return to school, earning a masters degree in library science from Clarion University. He worked at the West Chester Public Library, then the Trenton, New Jersey Public Library, driving the 44 miles to and from his Wyndmoor home every workday. “He did not mind all the time spent in the car because he enjoyed driving,” Margie said. The job at FLST then opened up in fall 2016, and Ed happily took it.
Barbara Sherf, a freelance writer, 36-year resident of Springfield Township and regular user of FLST, said, “Ed was a humble man who wanted to learn new things every day and to help other lifelong learners. Besides being a scholar and gentleman, he was just an all-around good person. … I shared a quote with him in one of our many encounters. It goes like this: 'Every time a person dies, a library burns.' But Ed is one of the exceptions. His fire and light will burn on in me and in so many others that he touched.”
The Thompsons celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last year. According to their daughter Moira, “Ed loved reading, collecting and sharing books. He never passed up an end table and would gladly drop off something at your house that you referenced during a conversation. In his later life, he found great peace ... Ed was voted funniest in the family repeatedly by his grandson. … Being a father was his greatest joy. To know Ed was to receive a book from Ed.”
Ed is survived by his wife, Margaret, daughter, Moira Thompson (Cory Potomis) and son Michael Thompson; grandchildren Avery and Connor Potomis, and Jody Ross (Rick), Karen Breznicky, Jack Gallagher (Lee), Tricia Coyle (Rick), and Beth Gallagher (Dennis Thomas).
A large crowd of family members, neighbors, friends, library staff and patrons filled Jacob F. Ruth’s Funeral Home, 8413 Germantown Ave., to pay their respects on June 27. Contributions in Ed’s name can be made to the Friends of the Free Library of Springfield Township (friendsofflst.org) or the Penn State Arts Festival (arts-festival.com/donate).
Len Lear can be reached at LenLear@chestnuthilllocal.com.
