ORLANDO, Fla. — Loved ones of Florida lawmaker Geraldine Thompson will celebrate her life Thursday, exactly two weeks after she passed away following complications from a knee surgery.

A public viewing will be held in Thompson’s honor at the Majestic Life Church on Thursday, Feb. 27, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET

On Friday, Feb. 28, a homegoing service will also take place at the church at 11 a.m. ET.

The Thompson family is requesting that donations be made to the Wells’Built Museum of African American History and Culture in her honor.

It’s no secret that Thompson, who was a Florida senator, had an impact on anyone whose path she crossed.

One of her former colleagues, Dr. Nina White, who served as the president and chief executive officer of the African American Chamber of Commerce, said she has felt that impact since they first started working together in 1988.

Both women shared a mutual love for helping their local community and honoring their cultures.

Even though White said it’s hard for her to wrap her head around the fact that her colleague is no longer around, she said with certainty that Thompson left a legacy that she hopes will inspire many people in future generations — just like Thompson inspired her.

White said she and Thompson were brought together through a College Reach-Out Program (CROP) between University of Central Florida and Valencia College.

She said both worked hard to ensure that students in grades 6 through 12 from lower-income backgrounds got an opportunity to get the postsecondary education they needed.  

White said she was so inspired by the work Thompson was doing that she even moved her office into the Wells’Built Museum of African American History and Culture, which was established by Thompson.

According to White, Thompson never failed to mesmerize people with her knowledge of Black history, which she fought very hard to preserve.

“She certainly left a legacy and an imprint, and the thing I love about her is that it’s in print so you can read the book that she’s put out," White said. "You can see what she’s done because if you had the book in your hand, you didn’t have to read the book because it was a mirror of every page that she shared when she opened her mouth. It was like volumes of information.”

One of Thompson’s best-known books is "Black America: Orlando, Florida," which compiled historical information of Blacks in Central Florida.

“Just being able to be a colleague, a coworker, I also worked with her in Valencia and in many areas of the city in terms of preserving (the) history of Central Florida, particularly in the Parramore area, so she’s going to be missed," White said. "A brilliant woman, a brilliant storyteller.”

Filling the shoes of such an influential figure like Thompson will be difficult, White said, but she vows to continue preserving Orlando’s Black history in her honor.

The public viewing will be followed by two memorial services led by member organizations that played a big role in Thompson’s life, including the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and the Orlando chapter of The Links Incorporated.

Thompson served as chapter president of The Links Incorporated organization for two consecutive terms from 1997 to 2001.

Of course, she is best known for her service in the Florida Legislature, where she served two terms in the House of Representatives and became known not only as the first woman but the first African American woman to serve District 44 in 2018. 

In 2022, she went on to become a Florida senator serving District 15, which includes parts of Orange County.