farragutpress

Proud new U.S. citizen from Farragut

Brought to tears by National Anthem, Thompson a proud Indy Parade entry

June 25, 2025 by Alan Sloan

Melanie Lisa Thompson’s deep love of “America,” pulsating through her veins for more than 40 years, finally led this native of Canada to take the final step: U.S. citizenship.

“I mean, my husband (Steven Thompson) will say, ‘Honey, I think you’re the only one that I know who cries (upon hearing) the Star-Spangled Banner, and you’re Canadian,’” Thompson said a few days after officially becoming a U.S. citizen.

“And I said, ‘I know, I always cry at that song,’” she added. “But I love America; I’ve always loved it.”

Nothing taken for granted in regard to the Red, White and Blue from this native of Kingston, Ontario, “two hours east of Toronto.”

Thompson has expressed deep appreciation for her warm receptions in the United States dating back more than 40 years, which is why she’s especially thrilled to become a U.S. citizen roughly 15 years after moving to Farragut.

About living in Farragut, “one of the things is: it just has this home feeling, you know?” Thompson said. “I love the greenways and parks in Farragut, too.”

At the Naturalization Proceeding (U.S. citizenship/oath ceremony) in U.S. District Courtroom 420/Eastern District of Tennessee in Greeneville Tuesday, June 17, “I was so emotional — I cried,” said Thompson, with Steven (her husband of almost 40 years); her daughter, Hilary Thompson, and one grandchild, Avalee, 8, (Hilary’s daughter) on hand.

This came almost 40 years after Thompson secured her Green Card in October 1985.

“‘My children are Americans and my grandchildren are Americans, and my wonderful husband’s an American, so I need to be an American,’” Thompson recalled telling herself just prior to seeking citizenship.

Giving a short address after taking the oath, “I could hardly get out the words that I wanted to get out about how much I love America,” she said. “At the ceremony, there were 24 countries represented. I was the longest in the United States that had not become a U.S. citizen.”

Thompson also was supported at the oath ceremony by several fellow members of her church in Maryville, Grace Community Church.

About waiting until 2025 to seek U.S. citizenship, “Well, now that both my parents (George and Barbara McAllister) have passed away in Canada, I guess I didn’t want to get it while they were living in case of bills or property or anything like that,” Thompson said.

“But it’s always been pressing on my heart,” she added.“… And then knowing that it’s going to be (our) 40th wedding anniversary — and I’ve been here 40 years — I just said, ‘This is the year.’”

United States start

Melanie Lisa McAllister fell in love with this country in her youth, first arriving in Palm Springs, California, in July of 1984 — age 19 — as part of a Canadian Christian Drama Ministry called Covenant Players.

“I had never been on an airplane in my life; and I flew from Canada to Palm Springs, California. … That’s where the drama group did its training,” Thompson said.

“As a child, I had always heard my friends say, ‘We’re going to the States; we’re going to Florida,’” she recalled.“And in my childhood, I had never gone to the States. … I had never traveled outside of Canada. … I was so excited because I had never been to the United States of America.”

Traveling with the Players “was just an adventure,” Thompson said. “... I sold my car that I had, and the money that I had left over from my car after selling it was almost the exact amount money for a one-way ticket to Palm Springs.”

About her first impressions od U.S. citizens, “I thought they were very welcoming and friendly,” Thompson said.

Such “warmth” took on a double meaning upon first arriving in Palm Springs.

“When I got off the plane in Palm Springs, I had never felt that kind of heat before being from Canada,” Thompson said. “And this is crazy, but at first I thought I was just standing too close to the plane (engine) when I first got off. … And my friend said, ‘No, this is dry heat. This is what Palm Springs feels like.’”

However, “It was just a neat feeling. … I was glad it was warm,” Thompson said. “Even ’til this day I love the heat.”

Family doubts, love drama

“Some of my relatives, my aunt and uncles, were like, ‘Why do you want to go there? Don’t leave home,’” Thompson recalled. “But I just really felt like that’s what I was being led (by God) to do. I felt like the Lord was leading me to be in the drama. I always liked acting. I acted in high school and I always like doing plays — and I’m pretty outgoing.”

Starting her family

Lisa and Steven — with four children and four grandchildren — met during the drama tour in 1984.

He “came over for dinner” at the home of a host family church to Lisa and other Covenant Players while in Borger, Texas, one of four states in which the Players toured (also Oklahoma, North Carolina and South Carolina), she said.

“The minute he saw me, it was like, ‘She’s going to be my wife one day.’ That’s what he felt,” Thompson said. “And I was like, ‘He’s just a really nice guy.’ So we wrote letters to each other. We didn’t even date. We wrote letters because I was on tour and he was an engineer and worked for Phillips 66 Petroleum in Borger Texas. … I ended up touring in North Carolina. …

“And so he ended up flying to North Carolina and proposing to me, March 29, (1985) at 10:47 p.m. at the Second Presbyterian Church in Hickory, North Carolina,” she added.

Soccer star in college

In the late 1980s, “I went to Brevard College in North Carolina on a soccer scholarship; and I was nominated All-American when I played,” Thompson said about being “the third leading scorer in the nation” as a striker one season. “I had played soccer in Canada since I was probably 3 years old.”

Family to Farragut

In the physical fitness profession as a former Nautilus instructor before “homeschooling my children,” Lisa joined Steven, a chemical engineer, in coming to Farragut from Cincinnati in 2010 — also having lived in Greenville, South Carolina, and Jackson, Tennessee. He came here to work for Process Engineering Associates, LLC in Oak Ridge as a process engineer.

About the children’s education, however, “Farragut High School was a really good high school, and I ended up putting three children (there),” Thompson said about Hilary (2012 grad), Paul (2014 grad) and Philip Thompson (2018 grad). “The oldest, she was in college (Dani Thompson).”

Parade participant

“When milestones happen in my life, I like to do something memorable, and I was thinking, ‘Now that I am a U.S. American citizen, what can I do?’ Maybe I can sign up for the Parade,’” Thompson said about being a participant in 37th Annual Farragut Independence Day Parade Friday, July 4, along Kingston Pike. “It’s my very first July 4th as an American citizen.

“So that means everything because all the past July 4ths that I’ve celebrated with my family, they were all Americans and I wasn’t, even though I didn’t let that stop my enthusiasm,” she added.

She bought “a Statue of Liberty costume. … I’ve had a friend altering it for me,” Thompson said. “I’m going to wear a Statue of Liberty costume ... and just walk and hold my torch high and wave.”