Peter Trueman Thompson
Peter Trueman Thompson passed away on January 13 surrounded by family. He was 91.
Born in the shadow of Blue Mountain in Palmerton, Pennsylvania, he was the youngest child of Helen Dreischer Smith and Joseph Camillus Thompson Jr. He had a happy childhood growing up in New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, where his interests included amateur magic and collecting coins and stamps. Peter spent summers at the family’s rustic cabin on the shores of the Delaware River, canoeing and exploring with his brother Tug and sister Ann. He prided himself on being able to shoot the rapids from an early age.
Pete ran track and cross-country in high school before attending Johns Hopkins University, from which he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1951. Running track for Hopkins at the 1947 Penn Relays, he broke the school record for the 4x440 relay that had previously been held by his father. In 1956, Pete received a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh, writing his thesis on the research that ultimately occupied his entire career: the study of aqueous electrolyte solutions.
In 1958, he joined the faculty of Swarthmore College, where he taught chemistry, particularly physical chemistry, and pursued research with his students. He was on the faculty at Swarthmore for 37 years before retiring in 1995. During that time, he had sabbatical leaves at the University of Cambridge in England, the National Bureau of Standards, and the University of Delaware. He was devoted to Swarthmore College and immersed himself in the community, determinedly supporting its activities and goals. He was a beloved professor known for his love of teaching, his passion for supporting student research, his famously difficult physical chemistry seminars, his skill in building scientific instruments, his smile and sense of humor, and his liquid nitrogen martini trick performed at the department’s annual Christmas magic show!
Pete married Margaret (Peggy) Livingstone Tucker in 1954, and she was the love of his life for 64 happy years until her passing in 2018. They were residents of Swarthmore for almost 50 years, and had four children and eight grandchildren. Adventure, camping, and travel were shared passions throughout their marriage, providing fodder for many favorite family stories — including the one about how, in 1966, they spent “99 straight days in a sleeping bag” while tent camping throughout Europe with four young children and an ailing station wagon. They spent many summers camping in Cape Hatteras and sailing on the Chesapeake Bay, and took a 50th wedding anniversary trip to the Peruvian Amazon with all 17 members of their extended family.
Later in their marriage, Pete and Peggy spent summers at their beloved cottage in Canada, often running a type of summer camp for grandchildren. Pete had a large garden, and over the years he enjoyed building several small cabins on their family compound. Well into their 80s, Pete and Peggy traveled widely throughout North America, South America, Europe, and Asia. The global and empathetic perspective on humanity that these travels gave them was reflected in their everyday lives, and they passed that perspective on to those lucky enough to know them.
In 2006, they moved to White Horse Village in Newtown Square. Pete had many hobbies, including astronomy, gardening (especially growing garlic!), tennis, woodworking, and researching family genealogy back to European kings and queens. With Peggy, he volunteered at the Chester Charter Scholars Academy (CCSA) in Chester, reading to kindergartners who called him “Magic Boy’’ for his ability to pull quarters out of their ears! He and Peggy were instrumental in raising millions of dollars for the building of CCSA. For all his many accomplishments, the legacy that he and Peggy helped build at CCSA is the one about which he felt the greatest pride. Also of note is the Peggy and Pete Thompson Science Center, which was funded and named in their honor by a favorite former Swarthmore College student. Pete also enthusiastically supported his wife’s work with the Chester Children’s Chorus, and they could often be found at its concerts and at other cultural and educational events on the Swarthmore College campus and around town.
Pete was undeniably charming; he had an easygoing, playful nature, a deep — and sometimes wicked — sense of humor, a love of nature and learning, and a strong belief in personal responsibility. He was passionate about the environment, the power of education, and the value of a life well lived. He loved to spontaneously perform magic tricks, recite poetry, tell stories, and sing songs, delighting all who encountered him. To kids and kids-at-heart alike, he was always fun to be around. Even in his final years, he never lost his determination to be helpful to others and always exuded gratitude for having lived a wonderful life.
His family is grateful for the loving care he received from the staff at White Horse Village, and for the devoted support and kindness of his many lifelong friends there, as well as in Swarthmore and elsewhere.
Pete is survived by his four children: T. Scott Thompson (Jill Kempthorne) of Severna Park, Maryland; Susan T. Thompson (Mark) of Gastonia, North Carolina; Barbara T. Amann (Stefan) of Towson, Maryland; and Joseph C. Thompson of New Orleans, Louisiana; his eight grandchildren, Katie, Peter, and Alex Thompson, Sarah, Daniel, and Jenny Thompson, and Ben and Ellie Amann; his sister-in-law, Anne Nichols (Jim) of Newtown Square; and many nieces and nephews.
A memorial celebration of his life will be planned for later in the year when it is safer.
Contributions in his name can be made to the Chester Charter Scholars Academy, or to the Chester Children’s Chorus, 112 Park Ave., Swarthmore, PA 19081.
