Dolores Casey Thompson, Army wife and mother, 88

Dolores Casey  Thompson was  proud of her South Philadelphia roots, decades after having lived  around the country and in Europe with her Army husband and their children.

"My parents loved growing up in South Philadelphia,"  her daughter Kathleen Thompson Liesfeld said. "They loved talking about the  people they knew and the neighborhood. They both could have written a history of the neighborhood.

Mrs. Thompson, described as a loving mother and a traditional Army wife, died  of pneumonia Jan.  2 at  Fort Belvoir Community Hospital at Fort Belvoir Army Base in Fairfax County, Va., a son  said. She was 88 and lived in  a retirement community at Fort Belvoir.

"She was  wonderful. She was an ideal mother,"   Liesfeld said.  "She was kind and patient."

Mrs. Thompson grew up in a modest South Philadelphia home, one of three children born to Edward and Charlotte Casey.

James Thompson said his mother often talked about life in Philadelphia and  going to hockey games and to the movies on Saturdays.   A graduate of South Philadelphia High School, Mrs. Thompson worked briefly as an operator for Bell Telephone Co.

She met her late  husband,  Lt. Gen. Nathaniel R. "Ross" Thompson Jr., at a dance in South Philadelphia, her daughter said. They were married for 59 years until his death  in 2011.

"Even though they  grew up not too far away from each other in  South Philly,  they didn't meet  until they were  19," Liesfeld said.   Her mother lived near 18th Street and Snyder Avenue, while her father lived near 28th and Wharton Streets.

After her marriage,  Liesfeld said, her mother stayed home to raise her children. The family moved often, living in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kansas, Alaska, Florida, and Germany.

Liesfeld described her mother as ladylike and classy. "But she didn't put on airs," she said. "She grew up in  a very modest home."

Her father died when she was 9 years old and her mother when she was 19.  Losing both parents at a young age "shaped her and helped her become a responsible  thoughtful person, but it did not cast any cloud over her," Liesfeld said.   "She was positive, very kind and compassionate."

Her hobbies included  gardening,  cooking and sewing.

"She could sew anything from tiny doll clothes to lined coats for us," Liesfeld said.   "Her  apple pies and desserts were really a standout. Her grandchildren always thought it was a treat to visit her."

Mrs. Thompson was an active and dedicated volunteer,  serving Army families.  And as Lt. Gen. Thompson progressed in military rank, he gave Mrs. Thompson credit for his  success.

"He always joked that when he got promoted, she was always one promotion ahead of him," Liesfeld said.   "If he was a three-star general, then she was a four-star."

In addition to her daughter and son,  Mrs. Thompson is survived by two other sons, Lt. Gen. Nathaniel R. Thompson III and Patrick Thompson; another daughter,  Barbara Burns; and 11 grandchildren.  She was predeceased by her two brothers.

There will be a graveside  service and interment on March 9 at Arlington National Cemetery.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in her name may be sent to  Army Emergency Relief, 2530 Crystal Dr., Suite  13161, 13^th Fl., Arlington, VA 22202.