Laverne (Matheny) Tompkins

LaVerne Tompkins

born on April 8, 1952 in Dayton, Ohio, passed away on Friday, April 21 at Ohio Hospice of Dayton surrounded by loved ones.

Preceded in death by her son, Scott Shock; parents, Jesse Paul and Edna Matheny; and brothers David and Phillip Matheny.

She is survived by her husband of 47 years, Raymond; daughters, Pamela (Eric) Mason and Heather (Jennifer) Tompkins; sons, Sean (Kimby) Tompkins and Raymond (Becky) Tompkins, Jr., and   grandchildren, Dillon and Isabel Mason, Bayley and Aleksys Shock, Kenzleigh and Karson Bosarge, and Savannah Grace Tompkins; aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, and many, many friends who were like family.

Anyone who knew LaVerne, knew she had a generous heart and compassionate spirit, never turning away anyone in need and encouraging those around her to practice radical kindness.

She enjoyed sports, believing that you should always root for your home team, and if they weren't in contention, you root for your neighbor.  She loved the Cincinnati Reds, Dayton Flyers, Cleveland Browns, The Ohio State University athletics, and her beloved Kentucky Wildcats.

A player of word games and trivia, she was an expert at cards of all kinds, crosswords, and perfected the art of "defensive" Scrabble and making "q" words without "u"s.  For many years, she watched Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy religiously.

LaVerne's address book is illustrative of who she was because in addition to expected information, she made notes about the best times to reach people, and had numbers for veteran's organizations, the White House hotline, and her elected officials.  Throughout, there were also Bible verses, notes about appointments, and under "B," a recipe for Buckeye Cake.  She had been a member of the Eaton Baptist Temple for many years.

The family is grateful for the care and support that LaVerne and we received from the staff at Ohio Hospice of Dayton who made sure that her final weeks were restful and full of people who loved her.  If you want to make a memorial contribution, please consider giving to Ohio Hospice of Dayton: https://www.hospiceofdayton.org/donations/.

The family will receive friends Saturday, April 29, from 11AM to 12:30PM at PREBLE MEMORY GARDENS FUNERAL CENTER, 3377 US Route 35 East, West Alexandria, 45381.  The funeral service will begin at 12:30PM with burial to follow at Preble Memory Gardens Cemetery.

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