MORRILL — Mark A. Thompson, born May 2, 1951, in Belfast, to Merton and Beatrice (Place) Thompson, passed unexpectedly on Sept. 12, 2014, at the home he shared with Valerie Derosier in Morrill.

Mark was born an outdoorsman. As a child, he enjoyed hunting and fishing trips with his father. He graduated from Belfast Area High School in 1969 and attained his Bachelor of Arts in business administration from Husson College in 1973. While working with Dutch Chevrolet in Belfast, he pursued his lifelong dream of joining the Maine Warden Service by spending time as a warden deputy. On Feb. 27, 1987, he graduated from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy and was sworn into the Maine State Warden Service. He served he entire career in Waldo County and was a valuable member of the Overhead Search and Rescue Team.

Mark engaged in many other interests outside of the Warden Service. Besides being an avid hunter and fisherman, Mark was a member of the Maine Retriever Trial Club and traveled across the United States and Canada competing with his three beloved black Labradors, Shadow, Buster and Sunny. He was also a devoted teacher, working with the Advanced Search and Rescue school, Unity College and served as a mentor to many young wardens and a special deputy, Chris Dyer.

Upon his retirement in September 2011, his love for the Maine outdoors turned into a passion for farming. He and Valerie created Long Shadow Farm, providing the local and surrounding communities with organic fruits and vegetables. Mark was a founding board member of the Marsh River Co-op and could be seen weekly at farmers markets across the county.

Mark is predeceased by his father, Merton W. Thompson.

He is survived by his mother, Beatrice A. Thompson of Morrill; several aunts, uncles and cousins; his partner, Valerie Derosier of Morrill; Sharon Thompson; his son, Jacob M. Thompson and his partner, Danietta Storer, of Morrill; and his daughter, Jessica A. Thompson, her husband, Edward O'Connor, and his soon-to-be grandson O'Connor of San Diego, Calif.

Visiting hours will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 17 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Riposta Funeral Home in Belfast. A funeral service will be held on Thursday, Sept. 18 at 1p.m. at the Morrill Baptist Church.

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to Marsh River Co-op, in care of Ed Hamel, P.O. Box 217, Brooks, ME 04921.