On September 11, 2001 Stephen was in the North Tower of the World Trade Center when it was attacked. Stephen’s wife Dorry and daughter Emily have travelled from America to support a number of awards and scholarships dedicated to the memory of Stephen. Each year, a student in Year Six at St Margaret Mary’s receives a scholarship known as the Stephen Tompsett Memorial Award.
In welcoming our guests, we are paying tribute to the past and look towards hope for the future – today has been alive with the spirit of remembrance and renewal.
Stephen Tompsett went to St Margaret Mary's Catholic Primary School and became a computer expert before moving to the US for work and marrying an American, Dorry. Stephen grew up with a strong Catholic faith and in America was an active member of his parish in New York where he was a lector, Eucharistic Minister, on the Parish Stewardship Committee and a member of the Board of St Joseph's School, where his daughter Emily was a pupil.
On September 11, 2001, Emily was just about to turn 10 and Stephen was at a conference at the Windows on the World restaurant at the top of the north tower.
Suddenly the first plane struck. As smoke filled the building and flames spread below he managed to get an email to his wife Dorry at home on Long Island. She never heard from him again.
The Tompsett family have since established the Stephen K. Tompsett Memorial Fund for Technology in Education to continue his volunteer work which had always exemplified his desire to improve education, especially in science, maths and technology.
In the past 10 years, the Fund has equipped classrooms with wireless Internet access, provided software and hardware support and training for students, provided laptop commuters to schools and granted scholarships to high school seniors It has also provided monetary grants to outstanding college students who have excelled in maths, science and/or technology.
At St Margaret Mary’s Primary, we honour his memory with our Stephen Tompsett Memorial Award.
Through the Holy Spirit he showed us that God is present in the world through people who work for the good of others. The Holy Spirit inspires people to serve God. The Church is the community of God’s people. Through the Church we are united with God, and with one another.
What a wonderful legacy that Stephen has passed on. One that we as people who celebrate and proclaim the message of Jesus, will be the givers of wisdom, encouragement, joy, hope and love.
As Pope Francis stated “The gifts of the Holy Spirit have been bestowed in abundance so that we may live lives of genuine faith and active charity.”
