Heather Dee Thompson

Our sweet, beautiful Heather Thompson, beloved and devoted wife, mother of five, daughter, sister, and aunt was taken from us way too soon, at the young age of 43. Heather passed away on December 10, 2022 after a brief battle with collecting duct carcinoma, a rare and aggressive form of kidney cancer.

Heather was born in Aberdeen, WA on July 2, 1979, and after many moves, was raised in Clear Lake, WA, where she attended and graduated Sedro-Woolley High School in 1997. Heather was the backbone of her family, which included her husband of 25 years, Aaron, and their five beautiful children. Her family meant everything to her. She was, hands down, the best stay-at-home wife and mother who took absolute pride in raising and homeschooling all the kids. She kept the family running smoothly and happily because of her strong, deeply rooted foundation in Jesus Christ, keeping Him at the center of everything she did. There’s nothing she didn’t enjoy doing with her family, except maybe cooking, cleaning, and grocery shopping. She loved summer vacations to Lake Chelan, Lake Coeur d’Alene, and Montana, or just staying local and hitting the beach at Bloedel Donovan or Boulevard Park.

Heather is survived by her loving husband Aaron, their five children, Kordell (23), Gracie (21), Libby (18), Joshua (15), and Juniper (11), her wonderful and adoring mother Talena Kirk and stepfather Christopher Kirk of Bellingham, WA, her father Tony Scovell of Belton, MO, brother Matthew Scovell of Corder, MO, along with his children, Olivia and Levi Scovell, her only close niece and nephew. Although Olivia and Levi lived so far away, Heather loved those kids as her own. She always made sure to keep in touch and was even blessed to spend the summer of 2022 with Olivia when she stayed in Washington. Heather is also survived by loving in-laws Gary Thompson, Carol and Tim VanLeeuwen, her baby sister Christina (Loren) Brandt, and brother Casey (Bailey) VanLeeuwen. Heather was not only a big sister, but practically a second mother for Christina and Casey, and loved and cherished them as her own. She was a part of their lives since they were toddlers.

We are going to cherish the many memories and amazing legacy that Heather left behind for all of our days, never forgetting her infectious smile and fierce personality when it came to living by God’s standards, and never wavering or catering to anything or anyone else, and to always stand up for yourself. Jesus wasn’t a religion to Heather, Jesus was a relationship. An intimate relationship she had formed and nurtured as a young child. She knew how easy it was to please God just by being yourself, and doing your best, and that He would carry you through the hard times if you leaned on Him. The Bible was for sure her favorite book, and it showed. She showed love to everyone she met and invested her whole self when it came to relationships. She did not have friends just to have friends, she had friends to be a part of their life, even if only for a fraction of time, and she wanted everyone to know the unconditional peace, love, and joy that Jesus would give them.

Heather loved teaching. It didn’t matter the subject, because she fully invested everything when she needed to teach a subject, whether it was Shakespeare, art, history, science, math, writing, or teaching kids how to build the strongest bridge out of small wood pieces. Heather was heavily involved with a Friday School homeschool co-op program with our kids since they were young, and she cultivated so many relationships that will be cherished forever by both kids and parents. I heard several times that kids wanted to be in Heather’s classes because they were always unique and fun, and she got so much joy being that teacher for the kids (maybe because she provided yummy snacks too).

Heather was a natural nurturer, the best caretaker not only for our kids, but for brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, and other friends’ kids as well. She was always concerned and willing to do anything she needed to, to make sure they were comfortable and on their way to healing, whether a cold or flu, a major surgery, a traumatic event, choking on food, bone breaks, or just small scrapes and bruises.

She was our kids’ best friend. Period. A unique and envious relationship not every parent gets to enjoy, but because of her giving nature, she was just so easy to be in love with. She prepared our kids for the real world, by taking them alongside her, and learning with them, whether that was figuring out the city bus system to get to school, or how to register for college classes. She made mental health and wellbeing a priority in our house, knowing the damaging effects of depression and anxiety, as she had experienced pretty terrible postpartum depression.

I quipped earlier about her not liking the cooking, cleaning, and shopping. That’s not entirely true. She loved cooking and baking. She loved teaching the kids whenever there was interest, and sometimes it was forced interest, but again, she loved teaching. Many fond memories of baking pies, and making Christmas treat plates for the entire neighborhood, learning how to make spring rolls, or gyros, or tiki masala, to just making mac and cheese, spaghetti, or rice. She could do anything, and I mean anything.

I haven’t talked much about my relationship with Heather because there is too much to say, but the main point is she loved me unconditionally for over 25 years, and she made me a much better man, husband, father, brother, and friend. Like I said earlier, she was the backbone of our family, and she made my life so easy by raising our kids so well and instilling such a strong faith in God. I have so many great memories of trips and events that we did together. I lived for making my wife happy and making sure she was as well taken care of as possible, because she worked so hard to take care of me and the kids. I’ll never have a best friend like her in my life again, and I’m so thankful she chose me as we were both coming out of high school, little did I know I found the perfect woman.

Heather did not live this life to leave behind a legacy or for any recognition. She lived for serving God, and everyone in her life. One thing is for certain though, unbeknownst to her, she left a legacy that will not be forgotten, and will live on in the hearts of those she touched.

Psalm 91: 1 - “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”

We love you and miss you, Heather.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, April 8, 2023 from 12:00-3:00pm at Semiahmoo Resort in Blaine.