Christopher J. Thompson

Christopher J. Thompson, 55 years old, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday afternoon,
October 17, 2023. Chris was born on November 7, 1967 in South Bend to the late Fred Cody
Henry Thompson and Barbara Rae Anderson. He has remained a lifelong resident. On July
25, 2023 in South Bend, Chris and Rose M. Borntrager were united in marriage.
Along with Rose, his loving wife, Chris is survived by his son, Nicholas Thompson of
Mishawaka; step-daughter, Riley Martin of Oregon; mother of his son, Laurie Thompson of
South Bend; step-mother, Virginia Thompson of Georgia; and brother, Wayne Thompson of
South Bend. Along with his parents, Chris was preceded in death by his brother, Scott
Thompson.
Chris has been a lifelong railroad model builder. He has given several presentations and
clinics on his building and weathering methods at NMRA conventions amongst other places.
Chris has never had his own layout, but he has always enjoyed contributing to several of his
friends’ layouts including his late friend, Jack Ozanich’s Atlantic Great Eastern Railway. Chris
worked in the retail hobby industry for 15 years before hiring out with Conrail,now Norfolk
Southern, in 1997 so he could play with the real big trains.
Chris loved photography as a hobby and making videos of trains and ships. Within the last
two years, he was able to set aside his camera and pick up his drone which added to his
already incredible eye-capturing perfect shots. Chris not only had a love for trains but
anything that moved including ships, planes and cars. The most memorable traits that Chris
had was his great sense of humor and quick wit that made him so special. He made all
interactions with him memorable. Chris has definitely left his mark behind for all to
remember.
A service celebrating the life of Chris will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 4, 2023
at the Palmer Funeral Home-Guisinger Chapel, 3718 S. Michigan Street, South Bend. Friends
may visit with the family beginning at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday morning at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of Chris Thompson may be donated to the Hoosier
Valley Railroad Museum, 507 Mulberry Street, North Judson, IN 46366. Online condolences
may be offered to Chris’s family at www.palmerfuneralhomes.com.

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