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Obit: Douglas Thompson, 50, Worked at Johnson Controls, Coached Kids’ Hockey Teams


Douglas Maxwell Thompson, of Watertown, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, December 6, 2023.

Born in Concord, Massachusetts, on August 31, 1973, Doug was the son of William and Lynda Thompson. Even as a child his curiosity and independence gave glimpses of the tenacious spirit Doug would carry throughout his life.

He attended public schools in Sudbury and was a talented youth and high school hockey player, developing a lifelong love of the game. Doug always had an entrepreneurial spirit, inspiring him to own and operate a successful landscaping company throughout high school and college.

Doug graduated in 1996 from Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering. It was at Clarkson where Doug met his wife, Sara, and many dear lifelong friends. He went on to dedicate 25 years of service to Johnson Controls spending much of that time in upper level management. In the months before receiving his cancer diagnosis, Doug had decided to explore new career opportunities in a less traditional corporate environment. Certainly, he would have been successful at whatever new endeavor he put his mind to.

Doug will be remembered for his social grace and willingness to lend a hand. To know him was to love him and he was a fiercely loyal and dedicated friend. Doug was capable and gifted in areas of life that many no longer prioritize. He renovated their home and lake house entirely himself. He spent many years rebuilding a 1961 Ford T-bird with his dad. He had a mind for all things mechanical and could fix anything. Doug truly believed that if something was worth doing it was worth doing well.

Without doubt, Doug was happiest spending time at the family camp on Lake Bonaparte in upstate New York. Nothing brought him more joy than sharing the place and activities of his childhood with his own children.

In August of 2011, Doug and Sara (Zidovsky) married. They made their home in Watertown, where they welcomed two children, Maxwell and Willa. Embracing their local community, Doug enthusiastically coached the kids’ hockey teams and wholeheartedly supported their other hobbies, with a special fondness for waterskiing. Above all else, he loved being their father.

Doug is survived by his wife Sara and their children, Max and Willa, as well as his father Bill of Sudbury, his sister Elizabeth Thompson and her partner Felino Samson of Nantucket. There is also a large extended family spread across the United States and Canada including in-laws, three nieces and one nephew. Doug’s impact was far-reaching, touching the lives of hundreds of friends, colleagues, and other loved ones. Doug was predeceased by his mother, Lynda, in 2012.

All are invited to attend calling hours on Wednesday, December 13th, 2023 from 4-7 p.m. at Nardone Funeral Home, 373 Main St., Watertown. A memorial service will be held to celebrate Doug’s life on Thursday, December 14th at 10:30 a.m. at Grace Chapel, 525 Main St., Watertown.

Source: Watertown News

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