Steven G. Thompson

Steven (Steve) Garnett Thompson, age 74, passed away on July 16, 2024, in West Melbourne, Fl. Born on November 11, 1949, in Quincy, FL, Steve was the son of Leonard Garnett Thompson and Evelyn Neff Thompson. IN 1962, Steve moved with his family to Gainesville, FL where his father accepted a professorship at the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS). Steve spent his childhood building rockets and conducting experiments with his chemistry set in his parent's garage. Later, he attended the University of Florida, receiving a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, in 1972.

After graduation, Steve accepted a position as an Engineer at Harris Controls, relocating to Palm Bay, FL. In 1976, on a blind date, he met his future wife, Carole. Carole and Steve were married in 1977 and welcomed a daughter, Laura, in 1981.

Steve worked at Harris Corporation for more than three decades, where he served in the roles of Engineer, Systems Engineer, Network Engineer and finally, Network Architect Engineer. Over his career he led the design and implementation of customer networks with 1000+ sites and 50,000+ customers. He provided leadership in network lifecycle operations, improving reliability and capacity, and lowering support costs. He enjoyed and excelled at researching and evaluating tools and technologies for network environments and helped to improve network performance on critical Government projects, such as with the FAA. In all, Steve worked at different divisions within Harris Corporation for more than 36 years. He was deeply passionate about his work and was known for his brilliance and ability to find solutions.

Steve was a man of many passions, including reading, gardening, cooking, and working on, building and rebuilding computers. His hobbies reflected his love for learning and his hands-on approach to life. He will be remembered for his intelligence, work ethic, and love of a good book. His legacy will continue to inspire and influence many.

He is survived by his loving wife of nearly 47 years, Carole, and his devoted daughter, Laura D. Thompson. Steve was preceded in death by his father, Leonard Thompson, his mother, Evelyn Thompson, his Uncle Leonard Neff and his sister, Linell Thompson.

A celebration of Steve's life will be held on Saturday, August 3, 2024, from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Fountainhead Memorial Funeral Home, located at 7359 Babcock Street SE, Palm Bay, FL 32909.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Steve's memory may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (https://www.michaeljfox.org) or the Parkinson's Foundation (https://www.parkinson.org), supporting Parkinson’s research.