Anita Marie Thompson

She was the youngest of eight children born to Nicholas and Mary Cavrich on August 10, 1939 in Hazelton, PA. She grew up in Steelton, and was proud of her Steelton roots and Croatian heritage.

She graduated from McDevitt High School in 1957 and went on to work for Bell Telephone as a switchboard operator as well as Volkswagen Auto in Harrisburg before gaining employment for decades at Department of Environmental Protection, DEP (formerly DER). She retired in 1995.

Often found in casinos or betting on horses, she frequented Trump Plaza in Atlantic City, always hoping to meet ‘The Donald.’ Anita was a talented cook never afraid to try new recipes but you could always count on her homemade dishes on a regular basis. She also enjoyed gardening (favorites creeping phlox, snapdragons, and crape myrtle) and had a special affinity for hummingbirds that frequented her patio several times daily. Although never possessing the internet, she knew everything in pop culture. Her celebrity crush was Tom Selleck, his shirtless 8 x10 photo watched over her in the final days.

Her greatest joys were her two grandchildren, the Croatian Sensations, Nik and Jackie who she devoted herself to often spoiling them by making filet mignon for breakfast. They spent countless days at her house marching around the backyard with pots/pans on their heads holding their little brooms. After she bathed them in the kitchen sink she would wrap them in a towel carrying them “like a sack of potatoes.” She delighted in teaching them Croatian cooking and traditions while giving them history lessons and practicing financial responsibility.

She is predeceased by her husband William A Thompson, son Ralph R Domene III and seven siblings: Joe, Stan (Margaret), John (Betsy), Helen (Sansone), Mary (Acri), George (Ann Marie), and Dorothy (Lyter). She is survived by her daughter, Mary B Karoly (Domene), two grandchildren Nikolas George Karoly and Jacklyn Marie Karoly. In addition, she is also survived by several nephews and nieces.

At this time, the family wishes to recognize the staff at Homeland Center in Harrisburg who provided exceptional care and services to Anita. She certainly kept them on their toes.

Graveside services are to be held Saturday, August 10th 2024 at 11am at Holy Cross Cemetery, Harrisburg, PA.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to either Four Diamonds Fund (https://www.fourdiamonds.org/get-involved/ways-to-give/) in honor of her granddaughter Jackie who is a childhood cancer survivor or Homeland Hospice (https://www.homelandathome.org/donate/)