Alton, NH

Douglas Paul Thompson, 70, of 8 Coast Lane, passed away peacefully on Friday, April 17, 2026, at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA, with his loving family by his side. Doug was a double lung transplant recipient and was blessed with an extra year and a half of life, made possible by a generous donor and the extraordinary doctors, nurses, and support staff at MGH.

Doug was born on January 9, 1956, in Clovis, NM, the son of John Paul Thompson and Tedye Lenore (Hinckley) Thompson.

Doug is survived by his beloved wife of 32 years, Cheryl LaPlante Thompson; his sister, Janet Thompson, and her husband, Michael; his brothers-in-law, Jim LaPlante and his wife, Kristie, and Jon Palen; his sister-in-law, Karen LaPlante; and many nieces, nephews, and dear friends who will miss him deeply.

He was predeceased by his parents, John and Tedye; his sister, Judye Fawver; his nephew John Thompson; his mother-in-law, Rita Paquin LaPlante and sister-in-law, Cindy Palen.

From a young age, Doug knew he wanted to be an engineer. He graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. He had a naturally curious mind and was always thinking about how things worked and how they could be improved. Over the years, he worked at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Asea Brown Boveri (ABB), and Westinghouse Electric Company Nuclear Division where he took immense pride in his work on reactor coolant pumps, tanks, and pressure vessels for the nuclear power plants. He also had extraordinary joy in teaching the younger engineers.

Doug shared a life full of adventure and simple joys with Cheryl. Together, they enjoyed boating, hiking, camping, skiing, and snowmobiling. He especially loved scuba diving, spending countless hours underwater with many friends, including Tim and his cousin John. Some of his favorite adventures included ocean dives where they retrieved fascinating artifacts, from large anchors to even a cannon.

Doug and Cheryl first met on a bike trip to Bar Harbor, Maine, while riding the carriage trails of Acadia National Park—a place that remained close to their hearts. They returned many times, including just last July to celebrate their anniversary. In recent years, they made their home on Lake Winnipesaukee, where they found great happiness boating, fishing, and simply being together.

After retiring at 59, Doug fulfilled an ultimate goal by earning his private pilot’s license. He cherished every moment in the air, flying his father’s 1958 Cessna Skyhawk as often as he could, always with a wide smile. He truly felt at home in the sky.

A celebration of Doug’s life will be held at a future date. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Doug’s name to the MGH Lung Transplant Program through www.giving.massgeneral.org or to www.stjude.org

To express condolences, please visit: www.peasleefuneralhome.com