Eustace Thompson, educator, mentor at Uniondale schools and Hofstra University, dies at 81

Eustace Thompson connected people. As a college professor and mentor, he possessed the unique ability to find the right fit for his students' and administrators' careers.

"He looked at people and knew who they were. He recognized their strengths and connected them to the right people to further their ambitions," said Thompson's daughter, Beatrice Eustacia Thompson, of Hempstead.

The Mineola resident died on Aug. 8 from leukemia at the age of 81.

Eustace George Thompson Jr. was born on July 5, 1944, in New York City. He graduated from Newtown High School in Elmhurst, Queens, before earning his bachelor’s degree from the City College of New York and his master’s degree from Long Island University. In 1991, he received his doctoral degree in organizational studies from New York University.

Upon graduation, Thompson embarked on a career as a teacher, assistant principal, principal and deputy superintendent. He began his educational career as a social studies teacher at Berriman Junior High School and Cordero Junior High School, both in Brooklyn.

Transitioning to administration, Thompson became the vice principal at Middletown High School in Middletown, Connecticut. He then began a 23-year tenure in the Uniondale School District, serving as principal of Turtle Hook Middle School, principal of Uniondale High School, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, and deputy superintendent of schools, before going on to positions in higher education.

"He was a great teacher, leader and conversationalist who made a difference in the school of education. His door was always open and he really cared for his students," said Sean A. Fanelli, an adjunct full professor and the former dean of the School of Education at Hofstra University, who knew Thompson since 2008, when Fanelli joined the higher leadership program. Thompson was a professor at the university at that time.

"He would want people to emulate and be what he was, care about others — your family, your friends, co lleagues — and most especially your students," Fanelli said, adding Thompson was "a man who made an impact on others."

Thompson married his high school sweetheart, Sally A. Herb Thompson, in 1965 and they divorced in 1993. They had two children: Beatrice Eustace George Thompson III.

He married Shirley Martin in 1993 and had a son, Jordan Cardin Thompson. That marriage ended in divorce in 2012. 

According to his daughter, Thompson was "the best father figure to my siblings and friends," and was a very "warm, genuine and affectionate person.

"He was always present in my life and always made sure that my goals were realistic and achievable. He inspired me to finish my doctorate," she said. "He had a very dry sense of humor, and everyone always commented on how bright he was."

After retiring from the Uniondale School District, Thompson joined Hofstra University in 2003 as a professor in the Department of Foundations, Leadership, and Policy Studies. He then became the program director of the Advanced Certificate Leadership program and chair of the Educational Policy and Leadership doctoral program. He retired from Hofstra at the age of 79.

Fanelli recalled his time at Hofstra with Thompson, saying: "We bonded almost immediately. Our offices were across the hall from each other, and we were always chatting about professional and personal matters.

"When I think about Eustace, I think about conversations; he was great to talk to and talk with. He listened and he remembered," said Fanelli of Westbury.

Education professor Alan J. Singer worked closely with Thompson for 20 years, as the two served together on many committees.

"It was the friendship that was the key. Eustace had the ability to listen to people, and one of his greatest talents was to help you figure out what you were thinking and feeling as a colleague, a professor and as a friend. He was a very rich human being, " said Singer, of Queens. "He always said, 'What is, is.' He didn't let the negative define him, and he became a mentor to many of the African American administrators because of that."

Thompson's special interests included curriculum development and organizational leadership. He was honored as a Nassau BOCES Education Partner in 2020 and named Hofstra’s School of Education Teacher of the Year in 2022. He enjoyed reading, collecting art, traveling and watching sci-fi movies. According to his family, Thompson would want to be remembered as a "father, friend, and mentor who impacted people's careers."

"Sometimes he had to say to someone, 'Is this really what you want to do?' Because sometimes people feel like they do things or are in the wrong field for the wrong reasons," Thompson's daughter said. "He loved to mentor and educate people and see them learn."

In addition to his daughter, Thompson is survived by his sons, Jordan, of Manhattan, and Eustace George III, of Oakland Park, Florida, and sister, Alice Thompson Hall, of Manhattan. A campus memorial is planned for Sept. 25, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Sondra and David S. Mack Student Center.