Charlotte, N.C. – Steven Dana Thompson, 62, of Charlotte, N.C., passed away unexpectedly Wednesday evening, Feb. 21, at his home, where he had been residing since 1997.

He was born in Salem, Mass., the son of Dana S. and Alice (Desjardins) Thompson.

He grew up in Auburn and graduated from Edward Little High School in 1962. He went on to college and graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 1966.

He served in the U.S. Army Reserves before accepting his first teaching position at Cheverus High School. For a time, he was employed by General Motors before working for Digital Equipment Corp. in Massachusetts. Most recently, he was a computer programmer and systems analyst for many years with Dupont, out of Charlotte, N.C., prior to his retirement.

During his young adult years in Maine, he enjoyed hunting deer and birds. He became active in gun clubs and often made his own ammunition. He participated in matches and was a fine marksman. He enjoyed early automobiles, motorboats and motorcycles. He especially loved to ride his Harley-Davidson in the evenings in Charlotte. He preferred to ride his Harley to Maine, even in the freezing rain, than to travel by car or plane. As a youth, he loved to read. In his retirement, he wrote a novel and was in the process of writing a second one at the time of his death.

When he moved to Charlotte in 1997, he had previously been working in Houston, Texas. He usually wore his cowboy boots and often was accompanied by his parrot, Miss Teco. Thus, he was endeared by his friends in Charlotte as “Texas Steve” or “Birdman.” His warmth and gentle ways will never be forgotten by family and friends in New England and his friends in the South, especially Mary Davis and her son Ryan, Robert “Wolfman” Martin, Rich “Angel” Harris and Willie.

He is survived by his father, Dana S. Thompson of Auburn; two sisters, Janice (Thompson) Jacques and her husband, Robert Jacques, of Auburn, and Deborah (Thompson) Hurst and her husband, Lawrence Hurst, of Blythe, Calif.; nieces and nephews, Saré (Jacques) Largay and her husband, Brendan Largay, of Dedham, Mass., Robert Jacques and his wife, Laura (Richards) Jacques, of Boston, Mass., Heidi Hurst of Fullerton, Calif., Kevin Hurst of Long Beach, Calif., Laura Hurst of Blythe, Calif., Owen Thompson of Rollinsford, N.H., Evan Maxwell Thompson and his wife, Kristina (Saucier) Thompson, of Auburn; and four great-nephews, Alexander Thompson and Jackson Gary Thompson of Auburn, and Colton Largay and Brooks Largay of Dedham, Mass.

Steven was predeceased by his mother, Alice Thompson, in 1976; and his brother, Gary Thompson, in 2003.