Emily Warfield Thompson

Emily Warfield Thompson passed away on June 30, 2024, at age 84, after cardiac arrest at her home in Lanier Village Estates. Born in 1940 to Margaret M. Masland and David K. Warfield, Sr., an officer in the U.S. Army. Due to her father’s military duty, Emily and her brother, David, lived and were educated in various locations, including Hawaii and the Philippines. She met her husband, Jack Thompson, while she was studying to become a registered nurse at Emory University in Atlanta. They moved to Augusta,GA, Jacksonville, FL, and eventually Gainesville GA, where her husband started a practice in obstetrics and gynecology. Emily most wanted to be a mother and clearly enjoyed raising her two children with abundant love, fun and attention. Emily savored adventures, such as a daring cross-country journey with her young family and Jane Oliver’s, rafting the Colorado river with her daughter and trips abroad later in life with her husband and friends to locations such as Switzerland, Bali, Africa and New Zealand. Although she and Jack enjoyed many trips to foreign lands, consistently, the value in the trip to her was the connections she made with the people she traveled with and the people she encountered along the way. Emily was a born helper and the field of nursing suited her natural skills and instincts well. Much of her nursing work after her training at Piedmont was experienced informally as she cared for friends and neighbors in the community and as a Hospice volunteer. She considered her counseling work at LaurelWood to be some of the most satisfying in her career. Throughout her life, Emily maintained unflagging positivity and genuine selflessness. She was a gifted intentional listener who had the ability to make others feel seen, heard and truly valued. Many things brought Emily joy, be it historical novels by Jon Meacham or the companionship of a series of loyal Golden Retrievers, but Emily was probably the happiest when watching the sunset from a lounge chair firmly nestled in the sands of Pawleys Island, SC. Emily made friends easily and she valued these bonds tremendously. She remained in touch with high school friends as well as her treasured sharing group, her wine ladies, the brunch bunch and many other friendships cultivated over the years. Emily is preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Jack Thompson and her grandson, Noah. She is survived by her son, Mark (wife Yuko), and their daughter, Chelsea Nakano (husband Takashi); and her daughter, Wimberly, and her daughter, Emma. A celebration of Emily’s life will be held July 20 at 10 a.m., in the chapel at Lanier Village Estates. Emily had many favorite causes to which she contributed, such as the Hall County Humane Society and the Mercy Ships (mercyships.org) where she hoped to someday hold babies needing comfort. In lieu of flowers, she would have delighted in a contribution to one of these or the charity of your choice. Memories of Emily can be shared at the Flanigan Funeral Home website: flaniganfuneralhome.com

Emily Warfield Thompson

February 27, 1940 - June 30, 2024