Anita Thompson

Anita Thompson, 63, of Davenport, IA, died Monday, September 9, 2025, at MercyOne Genesis.

Her funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday, September 12, 2025, at St. Anthony Catholic Church, Davenport. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, at Halligan McCabe DeVries Funeral Home, Davenport.

Nita was born June 25, 1962, in Davenport, the daughter of Thomas J. and Mary (Healey) Thompson. Survivors include her father, Thomas J. (Marlene) Thompson, Davenport; brothers, Thomas D. Thompson, Davenport, Edward B. (Trina) Thompson, Washington, IL, and James Healey (DeAnna) Thompson, Rock Island; sister, Cathy (Steve) Edwards, Moline; nieces and nephews, Tim Edwards, Evan Thompson, Dillon Thompson, Rachel Nieslawski and Molly Jones; and great nieces and nephews, Dylan, Zaden, Carter and Margot Thompson, Pemberley and Avonlea Thompson, Grant Nieslawski, and Billy and Charlie Jones.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Mary Thompson.

Nita loved the Girl Scouts and in many of her early years attended Camp Conestoga, first as a camper and then moving up the ranks to become a CIT and then a counselor. Irish, as she was known, lived and breathed the experience and it became one of the most formative periods in her life. She worked as a counselor and camp director for several years at various Girl Scout camps.

Nita graduated from Galesburg High School in 1980, going on to study for two years at Regis College, in Colorado and finishing up her studies at Western Illinois University with a degree in English. She later went on to get a master’s degree in English. She taught English and composition classes at community colleges in Illinois. Before deciding to get her master’s degree, Nita worked for the Handicap Development Center (now Empowering Abilities).

Nita decided to follow in her mother’s footsteps and studied nursing, achieving her status as a registered nurse and working for several years in various departments at Genesis Hospital. She also worked as a nursing instructor and helped a generation of young nursing students over time. For the past three years, Nita worked at Genesis Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House, Bettendorf, as a hospice nurse.

Given her English background, Nita was quick to correct bad grammar, either in the spoken or written word. So, if you were one of the unlucky ones and got caught, you could very well see her exasperated expression that we all have seen. And then there were the times when she would spontaneously break into song during the holidays, and really, anytime.

Nita lived and breathed for her beloved Notre Dame, and it was always fun to follow her on Facebook during football games as she navigated the ups and downs. She was also able to attend a few games on campus, which brought her much joy.

While Nita never had children, she took an active role in her nieces and nephews lives and loved holidays when everyone got together to celebrate. When the great nephews and nieces came along, she was always there to give love and advice.

She loved walking in nature with her dogs in tow.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Quad City Animal Welfare Center in Milan.