Obituary of Miriam Thompson

Miriam Thompson left this world at the age of 85 on May 8, 2022, which fell on Mother’s Day this year - a day of rededicating ourselves to reconciliation and peace. Miriam is survived by her daughter Julie Keane and her husband Aaron Keane, her daughter Rinah Rachel Galper and her wife Clare Mullman, her grandchildren Ruben and August Keane, her brother Steve Hotchner, nieces Brandy and Jenny, nephew Josh, and several cousins. She leaves us with a mandate to carry on her legacy and live our best lives in the service of making this world a better place. Miriam will be an eternal source of inspiration to all of us. She will be deeply missed and always remembered with love.

Miriam was a fierce, tireless, and visionary change maker, educator, life-long learner, loving ally, and movement mentor to many engaged in the work of justice and liberation for all. She worked with, and for, countless organizations and campaigns in New York City and continued in her adopted home of North Carolina. She was dedicated to immigrant, worker, and animal welfare and rights, voter and environmental protection, affordable health care and housing, civil rights, protecting women’s right to family planning and abortion, creating responsive leadership, fighting and eradicating racism, saving and improving public education, liberating Palestine, and unionization to ensure living wages and benefits for all. She adored and supported avante garde music, theatre, and film her entire life and was also an avid earth lover and traveler.

There will be a memorial and celebration of her life at the Haw River Ballroom on Saturday, June 25th between 12-5pm. Miriam was dedicated to social justice and the event at the Ballroom will include space and time to connect with organizations fighting for human and civil rights, equitable pay, Middle East peace and universal access to healthcare throughout North Carolina.