Argola Thompson

Argola Blanchard Thompson, age 89, of Erie, Pa. passed away surrounded by family on Wednesday, November 23, 2022 at UPMC Hamot. She was born in Erie, Pa. on January 7, 1933 to the late Tessie Blanchard Sr. and Esther Beard Blanchard.

Argola was a graduate of Academy High School. She was also a graduate of Villa Maria College with a degree in Early Childhood Education. She was employed at Erie Technological for over twenty years. She was then employed for many years at the John F. Kennedy Center as a Daycare Teacher. She retired as the Daycare Director from the Shiloh Daycare Center.

Argola was a devout Christian, devoted to her church and a faithful servant of God. She was a faithful member of Shiloh Baptist Church for many years where she served as the Church Clerk, the Church Van Driver, Senior Choir Member, Sunday School Teacher, Sunday Devotion Leader, Vacation Bible School Teacher and Children’s Church Teacher.  She was a member of Church Women United and the Erie Chapter of the National Black Women’s Political Caucus. Following in her mother’s footsteps she was a member of the Order of the Eastern Stars and past member of the Elks Ozeil Temple #317.  She also was involved in various community organizations and activities too numerous to list. Argola also known as Gola, Aunt Gola, Mrs. T. and Mrs. Thompson, was beautiful and the most loving, devoted, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, and neighborhood mother to many. She enjoyed working with and teaching children and youth throughout her life and career.  She also enjoyed family devotion/church in her living room, long in person conversations and debates with her brothers, phone calls with her girlfriends, summer outings with her children and the daycare children. She also enjoyed eating good food and had a sweet tooth. In her later years she especially enjoyed her favorite TV shows, Law & Order, In the Heat of the Night, Murder She Wrote, Perry Mason and the Lifetime channel. Her memory will be forever cherished by her family and friends.

In addition to her parents Argola is preceded in death by her husband Clarence Thompson Sr., brothers Tessie Blanchard Jr. and Grove A. Blanchard Sr., great granddaughter Shartiscka Thompson, nephews Dwayne Blanchard and Pernell Robert Gilmer and lifelong friend Dorothy Harden Byrd.

Argola is survived by her loving and devoted daughter and caregiver Terri J. Thompson (Cal) of Erie, her loving and devoted granddaughter and caregiver Brittany Lucas of Erie, her great granddaughters and helpers Nevaeh and Natalya Heidelberg. She is also survived by her daughters, Nicole Ford (Jerome) and Renee Thompson of Erie and Esther Bonner of Aberdeen, MD. Her sons, Shawn Thompson (Alicia) of Erie and Clarence Thompson Jr. of Manhattan, NY. Her granddaughter and caregiver, Alicia Thompson of Erie, whom she raised. Her granddaughters, Brandi Flemings (Sam) of Erie, whom she raised, Cherea Hardy (Larry) of Buffalo, NY and Argola Thompson of Miami, FL.Her grandsons, Kevin McKinzie (Temyka) of Erie, whom she raised, Brandon Heidelberg of Erie, Aaron Thompson of Dallas, TX and Maurice Cotton of Rahway, NJ.Her twenty-four great grandchildren and eight great great grandchildren. Her Sister in law, Eula Blackwell Blanchard, a host of nieces and nephews, as well as aunts, cousins and many friends.

Family and friends are welcome to call at Shiloh Baptist Church, 901 East 5th Street on Saturday, December 3, 2022, from 11:00 a.m. am until the time of the funeral service at 1:00 p.m.  to be conducted by Pastor Darrell Cook of Christ Community Church.  Burial will follow in Erie Cemetery. Arrangements are entrusted to Burton Quinn Scott Cremation & Funeral Service Inc. Downtown, 602 W. 10^th Street, Erie.

Send Condolences to www.BurtonQuinnScott.com