Klaudia Maria Thompson

    Klaudia Maria Thompson (née Zacharias) was born June 4, 1946 in St. Andreasberg, West Germany to Carl Zacharias and Anneliese Hackenberger, who described her as a cute, happy and easy-going baby.
    Born in a war-torn country lying in ruins, with severe rationing and people struggling to find employment, six-year-old Klaudia and her family emigrated from Germany to McPherson, Kansas in July, 1952 in search of a better life. She spent most of her youth in Dodge City, Kansas where she graduated from high school. She went on to attend the University of Kansas, where she earned her bachelor’s and master's degrees in German language studies.
    She met her husband G. Ray Thompson at Kansas University. They were married on June 8, 1969 and spent their first summer together in Rome, Italy where Ray was studying. After graduation, Ray accepted a position in the history department at Salisbury University, so Klaudia and Ray moved to Salisbury, Maryland. Within a semester, Klaudia also found employment at Salisbury University, teaching German in the modern language department. There she built the German program into a major. "Frau," as she was called by her students, created a very successful German club which had a high visibility on campus for many years. The annual Oktoberfest was an event looked forward to not only by students, but by members of the community as well. Klaudia also worked for nearly forty years at the Salisbury University library circulation desk. She was loved by many students for her teaching and mentoring abilities.
    Klaudia volunteered in many organizations within the community, including being a long-time leader in the local Girl Scout organization. She was an active member of Needlecraft, a social club, and Divas, a local investment group in which she was a founder. An active member of Asbury United Methodist Church for more than 45 years, Klaudia was a regular volunteer at the Opportunity Shop and Hearts and Hands Ending Homelessness shelter; coordinator of the College Outreach program; a member of the Asbury Board of Trustees and a dedicated Altar Guild member.
    She had a deep love of cooking, entertaining and sharing foods, and she was the self-proclaimed best cook in Delmarva. She was zealous about educational travel and experiencing other cultures, and taught many academic courses abroad. Above all, her greatest love was for her family and friends.
    Klaudia is survived by her husband, Ray Thompson of Salisbury, Maryland, her daughter Sarah Turner (Jonathan) of Easton, Maryland, and son Matthew Thompson (Emily) and grandchildren Juniper and Greta Thompson of Juneau, Alaska. She is also survived by a sister, Micheline Burger (Phil), and brother Hannes Zacharias (Marcia). She is preceded in death by her brother Peter Zacharias (Carita). Many nieces and nephews also survive her.
    A Celebration of Life service was held at Asbury United Methodist Church, Salisbury, Maryland on Saturday, March 15, 2025.
    The service has been livestreamed and recorded – use the unique link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0uH9s1xoek
    In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Klaudia's name to the Altar Guild at Asbury United Methodist Church, 1401 Camden Avenue, Salisbury, Maryland 21801