Iris M. Thompson

Iris Monsanto Thompson of Milford, NH, died June 14, 2010 at her home. She was born July 3, 1909 in St. Lucia, British West Indies daughter of Naomi and Oswald Monsanto. Mrs. Thompson immigrated to the United States during the Great Depression and spent two weeks on Ellis Island before moving to Boston. She married Robert Neale Thompson and became a homemaker. Among her rich life experiences and achievements, Mrs. Thompson joined the NAACP during the civil rights movements in the 1960s and marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in Atlanta, Boston and Washington. She was involved in the sit-in during school desegregation in Boston and was part of the group that was instrumental in getting the Fair Housing Act passed in Boston. Her activism brought her all over the country. After the death of her husband in 1975, Mrs. Thompson moved to Milford. An independent woman in spite of her 100 plus years and her sons living close by, Mrs. Thompson preferred to live alone and always kept up on politics and gardening. She is survived by her two sons, Robert N Thompson, Jr. of Milford and Dr. Christopher W. Thompson of Boston, their wives, her grandchildren, great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews. There are no visiting hours. A memorial service will be held on Sunday, June 20th at 1:00 pm in the Smith & Heald Funeral Home, 63 Elm Street, Milford, NH.