By The Associated PressNASHVILLE - U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson's daughter died Wednesday at the age of 38, his office said.
Elizabeth "Betsy" Thompson Panici died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center of a "severe brain injury resulting from cardiac arrest," the senator's office said. Press secretary Harvey Valentine said Panici had been sick, but he declined to discuss details.
Thompson was in Nashville at the time of his daughter's death to be with her. He released a statement saying the family wished "to express their gratitude to friends who have kept Betsy in their prayers."
Besides her father, Panici is survived by her mother, Sarah Knestrick; husband, Ronald Panici; son, Antonio; and brothers, Dan and Tony Thompson.
Visitation was set for Friday at Woodlawn Funeral Home from 2 to 4 p.m. CST and from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. CST. A funeral was planned for Saturday at Brentwood United Methodist Church at 11:30 a.m. CST. A private burial was planned at Mimosa Cemetery in Lawrenceburg.
Thompson, a Republican, has been in the Senate since 1994. Prior to that he was an actor and lawyer, and was minority counsel for the old Senate Watergate Committee in the 1970s.
January 31, 2002
My questions were specifically about this Marsha Blackburn. Her website bio indicates she was a huge supporter of Gov.Sunquist and waqs even appointed in 1994, the Area Coordinator for Don Sundquist campaign for Governor in Middle Tennessee. Later, in 1995, she served as for Governor Don Sundquist's Inaugural Ball.
It appears Blackburn has solid conservative credentials. That's good. President Bush needs all the support he can get.