Our precious and beloved Amanda "Mandi" Liane Thompson left this earthly world on the morning of Thursday, October 28, 2021. Mandi was an intelligent, empathetic, introverted, witty, and resilient young woman with so much promise. She loved spending time with her husband-to-be, Issac Deitt, and all of their pets (which included dogs, cats, parrots, chinchillas, ferrets, a bunny, and various arachnids and reptiles). Mandi enjoyed frequent shopping trips with her mom, spending time with her family, viewing and creating art, tattoos, piercings, reading, writing, fashion, thrifting, make-up, social media and a wide-variety of music, especially old emo music. She had a quirky style and dry sense of humor, full of sarcasm, irony and cynicism, which kept everyone laughing, even in the most difficult of times.
Mandi was born the youngest of three children on January 23, 1991 in Houston, Texas. She moved to Vandergrift Pennsylvania with her family as a young child and lived in the Pittsburgh area most of her adult life. Mandi graduated high school from the Pennsylvania Cyber-Charter School in 2009. She strived to make the life she knew she deserved by attending cosmetology school, working as a waitress and a pet groomer, as well as other various jobs, before setting her sights on higher professional goals. At the time of her death, she was close to obtaining her paralegal degree and was employed as a full-time legal administrative assistant at the international law firm of Reed-Smith, LLP. She was a vital asset to her team and was incredibly proud to have achieved success in her career. She recently purchased a home with her fianc and was looking towards the future.
Mandi was a loved daughter, little sister, niece, cousin, aunt, pet-parent, and friend. Left to cherish her memory is her fianc, Issac Deitt, her mother, Bonnie S. Nycz, her step-father, Edward "Eddie" Nycz, her sister, Amie A. Thompson (John "Randy" McDill), and her brother, Michael A. Thompson, Jr. (Andrianna Thompson). She also leaves behind three adored nieces- Aurelia, Layla and Zaylee Thompson and two cherished nephews-Blake Thompson and Declan Gettemy.
Mandi had a love of the occult and was joyously preparing for her wedding to Issac, whom she had dated for 12 years. The wedding was set for Halloween day, October 31, 2021, at the Mansions on Fifth in Shadyside. That special day would, sadly, never come to be.
While her death was unexpected, Mandi struggled with recovery from substance abuse. She fought hard and bravely earned long-term sobriety for seven years. Mandi also suffered from seizures with epilepsy. The exact cause of her death is still undetermined.
Mandi joined her family members who passed before her, including her father, Michael Alan Thompson, Sr., her paternal grandparents, Margaret "Peg" Lasher and James E. Thompson, her maternal grandfather, Anthony "Andy" J. Bloch, and her aunt Margaret "Peggy" Baker.
A private service will be held at the Perman Funeral Home in Pittsburgh. Following her cremation, interment will occur in conjunction with a private family celebration of life event at the Greenwood Memorial Park in Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania. In accordance with Mandis wishes, there will be no public services. In lieu of flowers, consider donating to your favorite pet shelter or JADE Wellness Center, a place that offered Mandi compassionate treatment during her lifetime.
There are many barriers to recovery. "The number one reason why people give up so fast is because they tend to look at how far they still have to go, instead of how far theyve gotten." (A quote by Mandis favorite artist, Mac Miller). Confidential free help to find substance use treatment and information can be found by calling the SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357.
We wish we could make sense of this sudden and unexpected loss, as Mandi was taken from us far too soon. We are so grateful, however, that she shared her love and her life with all of us for 30 years. We are forever changed for the better by her presence here on this Earth. We will ensure that her story goes on through photographs, stories, and memories. Her heart brought great joy to so many, and those hearts will never forget her.