SACO — Franklin M. Thompson, 87, of Saco, passed away on Saturday, July 1, 2017, at the Barron Center in Portland.

He was born in Portland on Dec. 14, 1929, son of Frederick and Florence (Pond) Thompson Stokes. He grew up on a farm in Gorham, where his love of animals and the outdoors started. His greatest sadness occurred when he was 18 and lost a limb which meant he could not join the armed forces to help his country. 

He graduated from Gorham High School and then went onto Gorham State Teachers College ( now the University of Southern Maine) graduating with his Bachelor’s in 1950 and then going onto to attaining his MSED in 1967. In the summers, he spent many enjoyable days as a Park Ranger at Songo Lock in Sebago Lake State Park.

He spent his entire professional career as a teacher and principal in the Saco School System. He enjoyed going to work every day knowing that he was helping to shape the future. His love of animals made its way into the school where you could find the occasional snake, chinchilla or gerbil scattered throughout the school for the children to enjoy. Because of his dedication to his work, The Shady Nook Playground at Young school was dedicated to him in 2001 and it made him feel good to know that children had a safe place to play. He retired in 1987 after over 30 years.

Franklin loved the outdoors and on any given day in the summer he would be in the back yard, gardening, mowing or building a bird house. He and Charlene spent many hours planning the family trips they took each summer from Prince Edward Island to Florida. The times he spent with his six grandchildren are his most treasured moments. Teaching them how to build things and about wildlife, were his greatest pleasures.

He was preceded in death by: his wife Charlene (Boisvert) Thompson, of 56 years, on March 18, 2015.

He is survived by: Robert Thompson and his wife Judy, of Bedford, New Hampshire, William “Bill” Thompson, of Saco, and Laura Thompson Lewis, of Worcester, Massachusetts, and six grandchildren Tanya, Amber, Allyson, Jason, Caitlin and Hannah. He is also survived by one brother-in-law, Theodore “Ted” Boisvert and his wife Theresa and one sister-in-law, Rochelle Fuller and her husband John, and two nieces, Valerie and Kristine and her husband Mathew.

Visiting Hours will be from 4 to 7 p.m., with a funeral service at 6 p.m., Friday, July 7, 2017, at Cote Funeral Home Chapel, 87 James St., Saco. To view Franklin’s memorial page or leave an online condolence, please visit cotefuneralhome.com

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Franklin’s name to the Barron Center, Resident Benefit Fund, 1145 Brighton Avenue, Portland, ME. 04102.