Michael J. "Mike" Thompson

Michael "Mike" James Thompson, 89, of Macungie, PA, passed away on December 19, 2025, at Lehigh Valley Hospital. He was the husband of Jeanne (Jan) McCully Thompson. They were married for sixty-five years. Born on March 13, 1936, in Detroit, MI, Mike was the third of four children and second son of the late William Grover Thompson and Catherine Marie (Petz) Thompson. He was a grandson of William Barlum Thompson, a former Mayor of Detroit. Baptized a Catholic and educated in parochial school, he attended the University of Detroit High School receiving a classical Jesuit education. He then enrolled at the University of Notre Dame and completed bachelor’s degrees in liberal arts and in Electrical Engineering. In 1958 he became a Member of the Technical Staff of Bell Telephone Laboratories (Bell Labs) and earned a Master of Electrical Engineering Degree from New York University. He remained with Bell Labs for 31 years, holding a series of technical management positions. Beginning as a radar systems development engineer, he worked in the areas of digital transmission technology and business communications systems in Whippany and Holmdel, NJ and Denver, CO. From 1979 to 1989 he served as Executive Director of Bell Labs’ Silicon Integrated Circuit Research & Development in Allentown and Reading, PA. The breakup of the Bell System by the federal government began midway through this period with adverse effects for Bell Labs and Mike accepted an early retirement offer and embarked on the next chapter of his career. In 1990 he became the Vice President for Administration at Allentown College, now DeSales University, helping to lead the steady growth of the institution. He retired again in 2002. Throughout his career, Mike was an avid volunteer and gave his time to a wide range of organizations and causes. While in Allentown Mike was invited to join the Board of the Lehigh Valley Hospital Center shortly after the court-ordered settlement of the Allentown “hospital wars.” He served as Board Chairman from 1985-1988 and led the organization through the creation of what is now the Lehigh Valley Health Network. Mike was devoted to his family and was known for his quiet generosity, keen intellect, and steady presence. His leisure time interests and activities included photography, music, and reading, especially the histories of philosophy and mathematics, theology, and John le Carré spy novels. He was a member of St. Thomas More Catholic Church, Allentown. Mike is survived by his wife, Jan, sons William G. Thompson III and wife Nicki of Solana Beach, CA, Michael P. Thompson and wife Kathy O’Brien of Allentown, Timothy C. Thompson and wife Jennifer of Baltimore, MD, daughters Maura T, Hagarty and husband Mike of Winona, MN and Guinevere T. Hughes and husband Toby of Allentown, sister Catherine Thompson and husband Edward Manuel of Falmouth, ME, eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, January 2, 2026, at 11 A.M. at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, 1040 Flexer Ave., Allentown. A calling hour will be held on Friday, January 2, 2026, 10 A.M. to 11 A.M. in the Church. Interment to follow at Resurrection Cemetery, Allentown. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his memory to Catholic Relief Services.