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Dr. Douglas E. Thompson

November 21, 1958 - November 1, 2016

Burial Date November 6, 2016

Funeral Home Henry W. Anderson Mortuary, Apple Valley

Service Location Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church

Memorial Service at 3:00pm on Sun., Nov. 6, 2016 at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Apple Valley, MN, with visitation one hour prior to service.

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Dr. Douglas E. Thompson was born on November 21st, 1958 in Willmar, Minnesota. He was the son of Earl (Tom) and Gertrude (Trudy) Thompson.
Doug was a person who loved music. He got his first guitar when he was twelve years old and taught himself to play. He developed an amazing skill that sprang from his passion for music. He played in various bands and later studied classical guitar, earning a B.A in Guitar and Voice from St. Cloud University. Later, his musical interests progressed until his crowning achievement of earning a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Choral Conducting at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Doug also played the lute and most recently wrote and performed a one-man show called “Luther and his Lute” which he premiered at Dreamland Arts just two days before he died.
Along with his love for music, Douglas also earned a Masters of Divinity from Luther Northwestern Seminary and was ordained as Pastor in Kennedy, MN in 1987, where he served for four years. After that time, Doug and his wife Maggie, moved to Renville and then Prior Lake, MN where he took on several interim positions before returning to school to follow his real calling in life: music.
Doug met his wife, Margaret (Maggie) Benson in the summer of 1986 at White Earth Lutheran Camp. She was the camp director and he was an intern pastor. Within three weeks, they knew they were meant for each other and were married on May 23rd, 1987. Doug and Maggie shared their love of music together. Doug was a music director of various churches over the years, most notably Nativity Episcopal in Burnsville, Our Saviors in Circle Pines and most recently St. Luke Lutheran in Cottage Grove, MN. Wherever he went, Maggie was with him singing alongside.
In 2004, Doug became the proud father of twin boys William and Lukas. He dearly loved his children. They will always remember their Dad as a kid again, how he was full of energy, liked the same things his boys liked, and was playful. They will also remember him as a very smart man, how he and his boys could talk for hours about politics or other issues. His boys loved him very much, more than they could ever have had the chance to say.
Doug passed away unexpectedly in his home from a heart attack. He will be dearly missed by all those who knew him. There will be a fellowship time for family and friends at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in Apple Valley, MN at 2:00 on Sunday, November 6th. A memorial service will follow at 3:00.
Dr. Douglas Thompson is survived by his wife Margaret (Maggie), his sons Lukas and William and his sister Joni (Brian) Nelson of Willmar. He is preceded in death by his parents Tom and Trudy Thompson and father in law Lloyd Benson.