Hadley Thompson

Hadley Edwin Thompson was born on January 16, 1942, to Charlotte Sager Thompson and Malcolm Atterbury Thompson at Deaconess Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. He graduated from Granite City High School in 1959 and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.

From 1963 to 1965, Hadley worked at Baylor University College of Medicine. In 1965, he joined the Chrysler Corporation Space Division near New Orleans, Louisiana, where he contributed to the Apollo Space Program, doing trajectory programming for the first-stage booster of the manned moon missions.

While living in Louisiana, Hadley met Laketa "Lucky" Rickley. The two were married in 1966 at her mother's home in Memphis, Tennessee.

In 1968, Hadley and Lucky moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where they both joined Control Data Corporation (CDC). They settled in Los Altos, and Hadley served in several roles, including Product Test/Design Team member and Senior Analyst Consultant. In 1975, they were transferred to CDC Headquarters in Bloomington, Minnesota, and made their home in White Bear Lake. As CDC Delegate to the European division, Hadley traveled to Europe seven times to lead seminars.

In 1996, Hadley and Lucky began working for IBM. Later, Lucky transitioned to a career in teaching, while Hadley returned to school and earned a second Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Winona State University.

In 2005, Hadley began working at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester as an analyst in the IT Division for Nursing and Medical Specialties. He remained with the organization until his passing, developing many deep and lasting friendships during his time there. Although he had no biological family in Rochester, Hadley created a close and caring extended family of friends - a tight-knit community that supported one another through life's joys and challenges, enriching each other's lives along the way. He was known for his generosity, gentle nature, and small acts of kindness - including always bringing chocolates into work for colleagues to enjoy. It was a simple gesture that became a beloved part of the Mayo office culture, a reflection of his thoughtfulness and ever-present desire to brighten the days of those around him.

Hadley and Lucky also owned a ranch in Pine Island, where they kept horses and welcomed others to board theirs.

Hadley was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 50 years, Laketa "Lucky" Thompson (2016); his mother Charlotte (1984); his father Malcolm (1996); and his brothers David Wright (2021) and Donald Malcolm (2023).

He is survived by his sister Katheryn Alice Farrell, sister Barbara Evalynne Mesey, and brother Ralph LaRue Thompson and his wife, Denise Marie Thompson.

Hadley was always fun loving, quick with a joke, gave candy to everyone, and loved pets!

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Paws and Claws Humane Society in Rochester, Minnesota - a shelter dedicated to the care and placement of dogs and cats.

A memorial service will be held at 1:30pm on Thursday, May 22, 2025 at Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Home, 5421 Royal Place NW, Rochester, MN with Visitation one hour prior to the service.

Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Home is honored to be serving the Thompson family.