Althea Elizabeth Collette Johnson, beloved wife, mother, sister and friend, passed away peacefully on August 12, 2026, at the age of 92.

Born August 31, 1933, Greensboro, North Carolina. Althea was a devoted mother who loved and cared unconditionally. She cherished spending time with her children, family, friends and her Light of Hearts community. Althea enjoyed watching movies, walking, exercising, and dancing. Nurturing and caring about children was a gift that came naturally.

As part of the Great Migration, Althea moved with her family from Greensboro, North Carolina to Cleveland, Ohio. She was educated at the historic St. Francis De Sales boarding school for girls in Powhatan County, Virgina, graduated from Glenville High School (Cleveland), and attended Hampton University, Hampton, Virgina.

On August 1, 1953, at the age of 21, Althea married her high school sweetheart, Ervin Byron Thompson. Together, in Cleveland’s Lee Harvard neighborhood, they raised their three children, Micheale-Lynn, William and Gary on Talford Avenue.

Althea enjoyed being active in her community. She was part of Gracemount Elementary school’s Parent Teacher Association, volunteered on election days working at the polls, and belonged to child centered group, “Button & Bows”. As her children grew older, she worked for General Electric Company, and as a grandmother, she loved working with children at the Early Childhood Education Center in Shaker Heights.

Althea also enjoyed traveling with family and friends to California, Alabama, Canada, New York, St Martin, and loved her cruise trip to the Bahamas.

Althea was the primary caretaker for her mother, Hortense Jones Benbow, until her passing in July, 2010. She then moved to Rockford, Illinois to live with her sister, Glendia W. Dean. When diagnosed with an

early stage of Alzheimers’s, Althea returned to Cleveland in the fall of 2022, and lived with her son, William, and his wife Doris.

In April, 2023, Althea moved to Light of Hearts Villa, a highly individualized memory care residence in Bedford, Ohio. Light of Hearts was coincidentally located inside the former Catholic high school, Lumen Cordian, where she sent her daughter Micheale-Lynn (c/o ’72). She spent her time there going on field trips, attending weekly memory-centered exercise classes, concerts, arts and crafts, bingo nights, and church services with a circle of friends who offered unconditional acceptance. She also warmly received regular visits from her family.

Althea leaves to cherish her memory her sister, Glendia W. Dean (90); three children, Micheale-Lynn Jackson, (Kenneth), Findlay, Ohio, William Thompson (Doris), Cleveland, Ohio, Gary Thompson (Veronica), Pearland, Texas; nine grandchildren, April Moore (Albert Jr), Milynn Graves (Du’Ron), Stephanie Roberson (Marcos), Phillip Jackson (Taylor Colgate), Alexandria Starks (John); Christopher Thompson, Jonathan Thompson, Stacie Thompson, Brandon Thompson; fifteen great-grandchildren, Dajon, Kaden (Brynn), Kielan, Albert III, Alec, Alston, Angelina, Madison, Ecco, Enzo, Michael, Maxwell, Liam, Lochlan, Lawson; and one great-great-grandchild, Robyn.

She will be deeply missed and strongly felt in the spiritual realm.

In Lieu of flowers, please consider giving to the Alzheimer’s Association or Light of Hearts Villa in Bedford, Ohio.