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Julia A Thompson, Ph.D.
Dr. Julia Thompson
PITTSBURGH
Dr. Julia A. Thompson, 61, formerly of Godfrey, died Monday, Aug. 16, 2004, in Alton.
She was a full professor of physics at the University of Pittsburgh. She had been a principal investigator on experiments at Novosibirskin Russia, Fermilab in Illinois, Cern in Switzerland and Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York. She founded Research Experience for Undergraduates-Focus on Minorities, a model program to encourage the participation of minorities in research science. She worked on developing science education programs in Pittsburgh, Illinois, Missouri and South Africa. She was a member of the First Unitarian Church in Pittsburgh and a regular attendee of the First Unitarian Church in Alton. She is survived by her parents, Ruth and Erwin Thompson of Godfrey; her husband, David E. Kraus of Pittsburgh; two children, Vincent Szewczyk of Barnhart, Mo., and Diane Thompson of Godfrey; four grandchildren, Cody and Nathan Szewczyk and Amelia and Margaret McCarthy; two siblings, Janet Riehl of Clearwater Lake, Calif., and Gary Thompson of Jacksonville, IL.; as well as colleagues, students and friends.
A memorial service was conducted at the First Unitarian Church of Alton, with a reception following. A memorial service was held in Pittsburgh at a later date. The family requested that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Julia A.Thompson Memorial Fund, which will be used to support her interest in facilitating the increased participation of minorities in the sciences. An account has' been established in that name at Associated Bank, 104 Homer Adams Parkway, Alton, IL 62002.
Fine-Burke-Staten Funeral Homes in Alton was in charge of arrangements. An online tribute and guestbook was at Fine-Burke-Staten Funeral Homes' Web site, www.finefuneralhomes.com.
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Donna Broyles (Mariner)
Julia was so very intelligent - it sort of scared me! But on top of it all, she was so very sweet - always a cheerful smile. She was a pal at Clifton Terrace grade school. Her home on the river bluff was a lovely sanctuary.I believe she worked at the Oak Ridge Government facility in Tennesee - but I really would love to hear more about her life.
Sue Weissenfluh (Rexford)
I was not the least bit suprised about Julia's vocation in life. We talked at the last reunion and I found out she was a professor at some big Ivy League college. Wow, that gal was so smart, but also humble. She was such a sweet friend in High School, and is sadly missed.Marilyn Hope Waide (Lake)
Julia Thompson was one of the five valedictorians of our class. I have to say that I believe that she was the brightest of us all. She got a lot of attention, and awards, for her intelligence, but she also was a very nice girl. I wish that I had spent more time with her. I didn't know her very well, and that is a shame. We talked at the 40th reunion, briefly. Who knew there would not be another chance? Let's remember her fondly.Allen Tuetken
I saved an August 27, 2004, article from the Alton Telegraph concerning Julia's life and the details of the auto accident that took her life. At the time of her death she was 61 years old and a physics professor at the University of Pittsburgh. During her career she was a "principal investigator on experiments in Novosibirsk, Russia; CERN, Switzerland; Fermilab in Illinios and Brookhaven. She also founded Research Experience for Undergraduates-Focus on Minorities, a model program to encourage the participation of minorities in research science." Julia was visiting her parents when she was killed in the accident. According to the Telegraph, she was driving the car with her mother, Ruth, in the front seat. Her husband, David Kraus, and grandson, Cody Szewczyk, were in the back seat. A motorist ran a red light on route 143 and hit their car. You can probably find the article on line by going to thetelegraph.com.Ida Brecht (McIlwaine)
I met Julia at North Jr. We were best friends during the two years that we attended North. We sold ice cream during the lunch hour and formed a silly group of the two of us called the North Jr. Ice Cream Sellers or something like that. My mother and her mother taught together and were friends so our families would often get together. She played the French horn and she named her horn Esmeralda. I remember her sitting on the bus reading a text book right before the end of one school year and I asked her why she was reading in the middle of the book. She told me that she always read her text books again just before finals. I knew she was smart but I thought to myself that if I was as smart as she was I wouldn't need to read all of those books again. But that was Julia. While she was in college I flew to New Haven to visit her. She had an old car that she had almost wired together. I was hoping we would get home from the airiport in that car. We spent the night at her husband's parents house in New Haven. I think that was the last time I saw her because I didn't make it to any reunions that she attended. I have many memories of her and all of them good.Some are funny. I was so sorry to hear of her death. I'm sure the scientific world missed her.