Earlier this month, the world of Florida politics was shaken by the news that a beloved former state legislator had unexpectedly died.
Last week, family, friends, and former colleagues gathered to celebrate the life and legacy of Geraldine Thompson, who succumbed to complications from knee surgery amid a career marked by service in both the Florida House and Senate, as NBC affiliate WESH reported.
Mourners gathered at Orlando's Majestic Life Church to remember and pay tribute to Thompson, who died at age 76 due to complications from a knee replacement procedure.
As the Tallahassee Democrat noted, Thompson's career in the state House began back in 2006, where she served until 2012, the year in which she ascended to the state Senate, where she remained until 2016.
The lawmaker returned to service in the House between the years of 2018 to 2022, then securing re-election to the state Senate just last year from Orange County's District 15.
Also boasting a background in education, Thompson was pivotal in the establishment of Orlando's Wells'Built Museum of African American History and Culture.
Thompson also served as part of a task force assigned to choose a site for the construction of a Florida Black History Museum.
The sizable turnout for Thompson's viewing and the expected attendance numbers for her funeral came as no surprise to Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, who underscored the undeniable impact the state lawmaker had over the years.
“Geraldine Thompson lived a life that was all about selflessness and giving to others, and so a good testament to her life and legacy is all of these people you're seeing here coming today for viewing,” he said.
Reginald McGill, constituent services staffer for Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer was similarly effusive in his praise of Thompson, stating, “She was more than a legislator. She was more than an educator. She was more than a mother, grandmother. She was really a friend to those who needed a friend.”
A statement from Thompson's family articulated the scope of her impact not just on her family and local constituents, but the entire state of Florida.
“She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother whose love, wisdom, and compassion shaped their lives and the lives of so many in their community and across the state. Her tireless work in education, health care, and civil rights, including her leadership to establish the Wells'Built Museum of African American History and Culture in Orlando reflected her unwavering commitment to creating a better world for future generations,” the family said.
According to an obituary posted by Mitchell's Funeral Home in Orlando, Thompson is survived by Judge Emerson Thompson, II, to whom she was married for 54 years.
Also left to mourn the late lawmaker are her three children, seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild, as well as a world of friends, constituents, and co-workers who admired the dedication she exhibited throughout her public service career.
