On October 7th, 2023, Catherine Harrison Thomson, 69, of Overland Park, Kansas passed away peacefully at the Menorah Medical Center in Overland Park, with her two sons, Alexander and Philip and her husband, Alan, at her side. She died of complications from pancreatic cancer. The memorial service will be held on November 4 th at 3:00 pm in the Bruce Funeral Home (106 S. Center, Gardner, Kansas 66030). In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society. (www.cancer.org or 1.800.227.2345. Use “In memory for Catherine Thomson”)
Alan and Cathy married in 1977 and for six years resided in Kansas City North. During this time, Cathy worked in her chosen fields of journalism and advertising with positions at the Dispatch Newspaper, Barickman Advertising and Barkley Advertising. Their first son, Alexander, was born in 1982 and Cathy changed careers to full time Mother.
A promotion in 1984 took the young family to Wichita, Kan., where her second son, Philip, was born in 1985. Cathy dedicated herself to the family and particularly the early education of her two sons. As a journalism major, her love of writing and literature meant she read books to the boys constantly, a fact borne out by their skills in the language arts evident even today.
Another promotion in 1988 took the family to St. Louis for four years. The family home was next to a medical campus that included large wooded areas where the family played, learned to ride bikes and developed a sense of adventure. When her boys were old enough to travel to the family farm in the Columbia, Missouri area, weekends of fishing, canoe paddling and just enjoying nature were the norm. One of Philip’s early report cards included a note saying, “Philip has much rural knowledge.”
In 1992, the family moved to Overland Park, Kan., and remains there to this day. The boys completed school and both went on to Kansas State University, Alex to the Manhattan Campus and Philip to the Salina Campus.
As the boys grew, Cathy reentered the workforce with jobs at the SUN newspaper, the Jewish Chronicle and the Kansas City Regional Association of Realtors. She was also very active in the Boy Scouts of America, ultimately becoming the Troop Committee Chairman for Troop 122. Her boys both became Eagle scouts.
Cathy, the second of four siblings was born on March 26th, 1954 to Lewis Andrew and Jo Ann Harrison in Springfield. Her siblings are Constance Harrison Fennewald, Thomas Magee Harrison and Lewis Andrew Harrison. While born in Springfield, Cathy’s real home was Mexico, and the town her family returned to time and again from corporate required transfers. She worked several jobs during her childhood in Mexico including running the snack bar at the country club and selling ads for the Mexico Ledger. She graduated from Mexico High School in 1972 and then enrolled in the University of Missouri’s school of journalism. She also joined the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and eventually became the sorority president. Cathy met Alan Thomson while at the University and it was love at first sight. They were married on March 26th, 1977, one year after her 1976 graduation. Yes, her wedding was on her birthday!
Family Who Went Before: Cathy was preceded by father Lewis Andrew Harrison, who died December 20th, 1988 and mother, Jo Ann Magee Harrison, who died January 4th, 2012.
Family She Left Behind: She is survived by her husband of 46 years, Alan Edward Thomson, her sons, Alexander Harrison Thomson and Philip Donald Thomson, as well as, her beloved grandsons, Holden Andrew Thomson and Carter Phillip Thomson and her siblings, Constance (Harrison) Fennewald, Lewis Andrew Harrison and Thomas Magee Harrison.
