Who is Dominique Dawes’ husband Jeff Thompson? Olympic gymnast’s missing father-in-law Leonard Thompson reportedly found dead

Retired artistic gymnast Dominique Dawes is currently mourning the death of her father-in-law, Leonard Thompson. He was 79. The cause of death was not immediately available. However, he had been missing for days.

Leonard was the father of Dominique’s husband, Jeff Thompson. Jeff is a teacher.

On December 21, the former gymnast took to her Instagram and wrote:

“Rest in Peace, Papa T. We are holding on to the memories. It is with a very heavy heart that I report that my father-in-law has been found, and not in the way that we had hoped for.”

The post was accompanied by a picture of Leonard Thompson holding his grandkid.

“We take comfort in knowing that he is now with our Lord and Savior. Thank you all for the prayers and support during this very difficult time. Our last moment with him was accompanying him at mass and giving him a hug, and my husband and I said, ‘Get home safely’… Rest in Peace, Papa T,” the caption further added.

The day before she announced Leonard Thompson’s death, Domique Dawes had shared a plea with her followers asking them for help to locate her missing father-in-law.

“Please help my family. Find my father-in-law, Leonard Thompson. White male, 79 years old, with white hair. He may have possibly suffered a health episode and is more than likely disoriented and confused. Last seen in Winchester, Virginia, left his car abandoned in Roanoke, Virginia,” the Instagram message read.

At the time, Dawes revealed that they had been “desperately looking” for Leonard for days with the help of law enforcement. She mentioned that the authorities believed her father-in-law was “picked up by a trucker” and was travelling “81 south.”

Dominique, 49, urged the community to amplify the message and help them get “national exposure” so that her four children could “see their grandfather again.” She concluded the message by sending out good wishes for everyone and asking them to keep her family in their prayers.

All you need to know about Dominique Dawes’ personal life

Dominique Dawes got engaged to his longtime boyfriend, Jeff Thompson, in December 2012 and married the following year in May. They have four children: Kateri, Quinn, and twins Dakota and Lincoln.

Jeff is a faculty member at The Heights School in Potomac, Maryland. He began teaching at the middle school in 2002 and continued until 2017. After a long hiatus, Thompson returned in 2024.

Dominique Dawes’ husband has a B.S. degree from New Hampshire College, which falls under Southern New Hampshire University. During his college days, Jeff Thompson was a four-year letter holder for the men’s basketball team.

Since 2020, Dawes and her husband have been running a gymnastics chain across Maryland called Dominique Dawes Gymnastics and Ninja Academy. They are spread across Clarksburg, Rockville, and Columbia.

During a July 2016 interview with TODAY, Dominique Dawes spoke about being a stay-at-home mom to her two daughters, Kateri and Quinn, who were 2 years and 10 months old, respectively, at the time.

“Being an Olympian — or just being an athlete — you can relate to setting goals and sticking things out because you have a love and a passion for your sport. I truly believe that my 18 years in the sport of gymnastics have helped me be a better mom — to be the mom that I am today,” she said.

Dominique Dawes, who’s nicknamed 'Awesome Dawesome,' added:

“Obviously, as an athlete, my goal was always to qualify for the Olympics or get a scholarship or win a gold medal. But as a mom, my goal is to make sure I have happy, healthy children.”

The four-time Olympic medallist is now a motivational speaker and the Goodness Ambassador for GoGo squeeZ, which focuses on improving the nutrition habits and wellness of children.

Last week, several news outlets, including USA Today, reported that Leonard Thompson attended a funeral in Herndon, Virginia, on December 15 and had been missing ever since he left around 7:30 pm local time. He was diabetic and without his medication.

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Subsequently, his car had been discovered unattended near Interstate 81 near Roanoke on Tuesday with a “flat tire and missing keys.”

Finally, on Saturday, his lifeless body was found in Troutville, southwestern Virginia, by the Herndon Police Department. Details/ circumstances surrounding the death remain undisclosed.

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