Major C. Thompson, PhD.

Major C. Thompson, PhD, of Aiken, S.C. passed away Friday, January 24, 2025, in Aiken Regional Medical Centers.

Born in rural north Alabama in 1937, Dr. Thompson grew up in Birmingham. He was the son of the late George Frederick and Anna Laura Pitzing Thompson.

He is survived by his true love Mary Ann Roof Thompson, whom he cherished and devoted himself to for 62 years, daughters Melissa McClain and Marcia Thompson, son-in-law Allen McClain, grandchildren Morgan and Austin Renew, as well his older brother George Fredrick Thompson.

Major obtained a B.S. degree in Chemistry from Birmingham Southern College in 1959, then M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Inorganic Chemistry from Ohio State University in 1961 and 1963, respectively, and spent more than fifty years researching and contributing to developments in nuclear and radiochemistry.

Among his many accomplishments and recognitions as a Senior Scientist for the Department of Energy’s Savannah River National Laboratory, Major was an Emeritus member of the American Chemical Society, received the Westinghouse Savannah River Company Don Orth Award for technical excellence in 1996, the Glenn T. Seaborg Award in Actinide Separations in 1997, and the Distinguished Scientist Award from Citizens for Nuclear Technology Awareness in 2003. He was passionate about interacting, mentoring, and sharing with the chemists, physicists, and engineers of his field throughout the world.

Major never sat still in his leisure time and spent countless hours over his life happily getting dirty in his vegetable, fruit and flower gardens. He channeled his problem-solving nature into countless creative outlets working with his hands. He loved crafting small treasures on his woodworking bench as gifts for family and friends, examining and polishing rocks and gemstones, and making jewelry. Over the years, he built go-carts and dulcimers, studied blacksmithing, concocted his own shampoo in a moonshine jug, made jelly and jam from the berries he picked, cranked backyard ice cream, and recruited his young daughters to stomp buckets of grapes with their bare feet in a failed attempt at basement winemaking.

He was loved. And he is missed.

A memorial service will be held Saturday afternoon, February 2nd at 3 o’clock at St. Thaddeus Episcopal Church, of which he was a devoted member and participant for more than 50 years. The Rev. Dr. Marshall A. Jolly will officiate. Interment will be in the churchyard. A reception will be in the Stevenson-McClelland Building following the committal service.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to Aiken Mended Hearts, (Chapter 294; P.O. Box 967, Aiken, SC 29802), a support program for patients with cardiovascular disease that Major and Mary Ann volunteered with for many years.

SHELLHOUSE – RIVERS FUNERAL HOME, 715 EAST PINE LOG RD., AIKEN, SC