Mitchel James Thompson

March 21, 1981 ~ July 6, 2026

We lost Mitchel J. Thompson on July 6, 2026, to a broken heart at just 45 years old.

Visitation will be 10am ~ Noon, Saturday, July 18, 2026, at Heartland Funeral Home, with a short time of sharing at 11:30am.

Mitchel James Thompson was born March 21, 1981, in Oklahoma City, OK to Deb McClintock and Tom Thompson. Mitch was an inquisitive child and smarter than he should’ve been for his age, “school smart” even before starting, a trait he would pass on to his son years later. Mitch and his mom moved back to South Dakota in 1984 where he would excel in school and be raised by his mom and Mike McClintock.

The adage “never judge a book by its cover” definitely applied to Mitch. Naturally tall, broad, “work strong” without ever stepping into a gym, with a bushy beard, his size made a statement, but his personality was the opposite. Always quick with a smile, he would disarm people with his big laugh and bigger hugs. Mitch was a gentle giant who never let his past define who he was as a man.

And that man was a HARD worker. His last job was for Barnhart Crane where he started as a mechanic and became a crane rigger who traveled the area for the company. One of his proudest professional moments was getting to work on the Crazy Horse Memorial in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Mitch also spent time working in the North Dakota oil fields and as a concert stage hand in California where he got to travel to Las Vegas to work the legendary Big Blues Bender. But even after working long days and weeks on the job, he’d also be the first one to help his mom & dad mow the acreage, haul tree branches after a storm, or load hay into the barn for the horse and donkey.

That’s the side of Mitch that not everyone saw: that if he could help his folks, friends and family in any way, he would, but it would be quietly. Mitch never made a big deal out of helping because to him, it WASN’T. It was his nature to help get someone’s truck running, give them a lift somewhere, haul furniture…that was just Mitch.

All that love and helpfulness found its purpose on January 16, 2018 when his son Lyric James Thompson was born. Lyric has been the spitting image of his dad since he was little and shows the same math and language aptitude. Mitch LOVED being Lyric’s dad! From going to the Monster Trucks together to trick or treating or just reading a book and doing math problems together, Mitch adored his boy more than anything. He was an incredible dad to Lyric.

Mitch’s hobbies were few. He seemed happiest being dad, working hard and helping people, though he did enjoy playing a game of dice with his mom & dad and their friends who all thought of Mitch as their nephew.

Mitch is survived by his son, Lyric; his mom & dad, Deb and Mike McClintock; his grandparents, Donald and Darlene Rumpca, Emily and Richard Danielson, and Loretta Gonsoir; sister, Bobbi Clayton (Joe Fleming); uncles and aunts, Doug and Jackie Rumpca, Dawn Rumpca (Amanda), Tim McClintock (Julie Winkler Kafka), Trace McClintock, Marvin McClintock, and Linda and Doug Aus; and lots of cousins. Mitch also leaves behind so many others he treated as family and those who thought of him as the same.

Mitch was preceded in death by his biological father, Tom Thompson; and biological grandfather, Eddie Gonsoir.

Hug the people in your life who matter and always remind them that they’re loved. Life is too short. #988

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