Barbara Ann Thompson Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Barbara Ann Brooks was born January 27, 1947 in Royal Oak Township, Michigan, to the late Marie White Robinson and George Washington Brooks, Sr. The youngest girl in the family, Barbara grew up in Detroit under the watchful gaze of her older brother and many elder sisters. Barbara had a deep love of learning (which lasted her entire life) and she excelled in school, graduating from Murray-Wright High School in 1964. While at Murray-Wright, she met her future husband, Art Thompson. The two married soon after high school and traveled as a military family, living for extended periods in North Dakota and Turkey. During this time, Barbara and Art welcomed their firstborn, Arthur Brian, into the world. Two years later, they were surprised to learn they would be parents again, and welcomed their daughter, Karen Linette. Barbara and Art were married for 13 years. Barbara’s love of learning was insatiable, and in her adulthood, she was determined to go back to college and complete her degree. She proudly earned her bachelor’s degree from Wayne State University in 1992. Barbara’s professional career had two phases, the first of which was 35 years spent rising through the ranks with Michigan Bell-Ameritech-AT&T, working on accounts across the Midwest. In 1998, she survived a brain aneurysm and stroke – and her recovery was so notable that, after a long recovery period, the doctors at the University of Michigan declared her one of their “miracle” patients. She realized that much about her had changed. She ultimately retired from her position with the phone company to counsel other brain injury survivors as an independent living specialist for Disability Network Oakland & Macomb, a role she served in for 17 years. She took great pride in her status as a survivor and enjoyed sharing her comeback story with others whom she thought it might inspire and encourage. She also served as vice president of the Wayne-Oakland chapter of the Brain Injury Association of Michigan. A student of the world, Barbara loved to travel, and over the course of her life made extraordinary trips to West Africa, China, and nearly all of Europe, as well as traversing much of the US, including Hawaii and Alaska. Barbara was preceded in death by her mother, Marie Robinson; her sisters, Jessie Hunt and Evelyn Lewis; her brothers, Richard Brooks and Alfred L. Brooks, Sr; and her dearest companion, Allen Wright. She leaves to cherish her memory: her son, Arthur Thompson (Marcia); her daughter, Karen Isble (Andrew); her sister, Carolyn McCutchen; her sister-in-law, Diann Brooks; her former husband, Art Thompson; her grandchildren and step-grandchildren, Brian Michael Williams, Nicole Thompson, Kira Thompson, Ariel Isble, Kaelan Isble, Sarah Herzog (Ryan) and Stephanie Koens; her special nephew and niece, Tony McCutchen (Yvette) and Michelle Horsley (Leslie), and many, many loving nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and her congregation at Northwest Unitarian Universalist. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made in her memory to the Brain Injury Association of Michigan

Barbara Ann Thompson

January 27, 1947 - November 2, 2020