Stephen L. Thompson, M.D.

Campbell County has lost one of its finest citizens. Dr. Stephen L. \"Doc\" Thompson, age 73, passed from this world surrounded by his family on Sunday, September 2, 2012 at the only home he ever knew in Rustburg.

Dr. Thompson was born on April 21, 1939 to the late Samuel J. Thompson and Laura Watkins Thompson. His sister, Elizabeth T. Hoback, his brothers, Samuel J. Thompson, Jr. and Robert A. Thompson and his niece, M. Christie Crutchfield preceded him in death.

Dr. Thompson grew up in Rustburg and had many fond memories of the times spent with his childhood friend, W. H. \"Buzzy\" Overbey, Jr.   He graduated from Rustburg High School and could have followed in his father\"™s footsteps, who was a lawyer and the Commonwealth Attorney for Campbell County, or his mother\"™s footsteps, who was a long time educator. Instead he decided to pursue a career in medicine just like his grandfather, Dr. Otis Lee Watkins, who was a general practitioner and per Dr. Thompson, a true \"country\" doctor.   He received his Pre-Med degree from Washington & Lee in 1961 and Medical Degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine in 1965. From 1965 to 1966 he interned at Roanoke Memorial Hospital.

When he completed his internship Dr. Thompson enlisted in the United States Army and departed for Vietnam September 3, 1966, where he was a member of the First Battalion of the 28th infantry, of the First Infantry Division. He ascended to the rank of Captain and received two bronze stars for valor due to his evacuation of the wounded under fire and for his efforts when his battalion sustained many casualties in capturing a base camp. He saved the lives of two Vietnamese children and was also awarded a soldier\"™s medal, after he talked a distraught soldier out of detonating a live grenade. He received an honorable discharge while stationed at Martin Army Hospital in Fort Benning, Georgia on July 26, 1968.

Upon completion of service to his Country, Dr. Thompson and his family returned to Rustburg where he recognized his lifelong ambition of opening Village Family Practice to serve the medical needs of the community. For many years he was the only doctor in town and would often see as many as sixty patients per day. His work ethic was tireless and outside of his office he was available for numerous house calls and consultations throughout his life. Dr. Thompson served as the county medical examiner for more than

30 years, was the attending physician for the Rustburg Correctional Unit # 9 and gave generously of his time and talents to the less fortunate through his many hours of service to the free clinic at the Campbell County Health Department. In the late 1990\"™s he merged his practice into Central Virginia Family Physicians to help ensure that his beloved community would have continued access to health care services after his retirement. Continuing in the family tradition, his daughter, Tracey Thompson Rosser, became a nurse and for many years worked by his side. Dr. Thompson retired in 2011, after which the medical facility was deservingly named after him.

For over the past twenty years the love of Dr. Thompson\"™s life has been his wife, Sandra A. Thompson, who cared tirelessly for him as he battled health issues during the latter part of his life. The two were inseparable and shared many good times with friends traveling, dancing and almost always laughing. In addition to his wife, he is survived by his uncle, Otis Lee Watkins, Jr.; his daughter, Tracey; his son, Stephen L. Thompson, Jr.; his stepson, Aubrey H. Hall, III and his wife, Shannon; and his stepdaughter, Allison P. Appelman, and her husband, Sandy; his niece, Martha T. Campbell; his niece Suzanne T. Saunders; his nephew, Samuel J. Thompson, III and his nephew, David N. Hoback. Also surviving are his grandchildren, Travis H. Rosser, Stevie E. Rosser, Aubrey H. Hall, IV and Samuel T. Hall, who all adored him.

A memorial service in Dr. Thompson\"™s honor will be held at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, September 5, 2012 at Rustburg United Methodist Church with the Rev. Sung Woon Yoo and the Rev. Larry Davies officiating. Military honors will be provided by American Legion Post #16. A reception will follow in the church\"™s multi-purpose center. In lieu of flowers the family requests that consideration be given to making a contribution to the Campbell County Relay for Life\"™s effort to find a cure for cancer, c/o American Cancer Society, 2050 Langhorne Road, Lynchburg, VA 24501.