MARLENE THOMPSON, 77 of Wayne, W.Va., passed peacefully Sunday, July 26, 2026, at the Emogene Dolin Jones Hospice House in Huntington, W.Va., following a long and courageous battle with cancer. She fought with strength and dignity until the very end.

Born May 21, 1949, to the late Andy and Vesta (McComas) Blankenship, she is also preceded in death by husbands William "Toots" Pack and Jay B. Thompson, as well as brothers Ardrey "Bo" Blankenship, Arthur Blankenship, and Carlos "Tony" Blankenship.

Left to cherish her memory are her sisters Catherine Epling of Barboursville, W.Va., Maxine McCreadie of Lavalette, W.Va., and Evelyn Skeens (Roger) also of Lavalette, along with family, friends, nieces, and nephews far too numerous to count.

A faithful member of The Wayne Church of Christ, her presence will be deeply missed.

While Marlene did not have children of her own, she does leave behind a special niece Missica Jenay Webb (Matt) of Barboursville, who she lovingly called "My Baby." She was also a very special aunt to nieces Tawanna Blankenship Sowards and Monica Parsons, and their children and grandchildren. She happily claimed Kendra Skeens, Brayden Pullen, Paisley Webb, and Elijah Webb as her grandchildren more so than her great nieces and nephews.

An amazing singer, an avid homemaker with a wonderfully unique sense of style, a talented crafter, a loyal friend and sister, and a loving aunt are just a few ways we could describe the amazing person Marlene was. She truly lived a life that embodied a Christian life, and she left her family with a great many wonderful memories to look back on for years to come. We love you and miss you today, and always.

The family would like to thank Hospice of Huntington, Tri-State Life Care, the OSU James Cancer Center, and chronic care nurse Samantha Chapman for the compassionate care shown to not only Marlene, but also her family during this most difficult time.

Marlene did not want a traditional funeral service. Instead, the family will host a Celebration of Life Memorial Service on August 15, 2026, at 3pm at The Wayne Church of Christ. The family appreciates Johnson-Tiller Funeral Home for their assistance in these arrangements.

"How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."