John Charles Thompson

He is survived by his wife of almost 52 years, Nancy (Beyer) Thompson; daughters Whitney Thompson and her future spouse John Rushing of Battleground, WA; and Heather (Thompson) Ronayne and her husband Mark of Bellevue, NE; son Jason Thompson and his wife Courtney of Canby, OR; six grandchildren (Elizabeth, Austin, John, Sarah, Bryson, and Cailyn); sisters Karen Bitterling and Betty Johnson; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Charles and Lorene Thompson.

He was born in Tacoma, WA on April 4, 1944 to Charles and Lorene (Saunders) Thompson. After attending Lincoln High School in Tacoma, he joined the United States Army where he served for three years. He also served in the National Guard for two years.

In 1966 he married Nancy (Beyer) Thompson in Castro Valley, CA. Over the following years, the couple welcomed 3 children into their family.

He worked for Wonder Bread/Hostess Cake for 27 years. During his career, he began as a bread delivery driver and, due to his selfless personality and genuine interest in others, he worked his way up to become a sales manager. John worked in bakeries in Kent, WA; Seattle, WA; Portland, OR; and St. Louis, MO. He later worked at Portland French Bakery until retirement in 2006. He was a hard-working and dedicated employee who went above and beyond in all he did.

John was a loving husband, caring and devoted father, and a good provider for his family. He was first and foremost a family man who loved his children and grandchildren. Known as “Grampie” to his grandchildren, he always had time to sit and share special moments and laughs with them. He was kind, good-humored, and quite the conversationalist.

He was a talented man who never met a project he couldn’t handle. A self-taught craftsman, John was highly skilled in solving mechanical and home repair needs. Among many other projects, he remodeled a full basement, maintained an immaculate yard, and even built a beautiful screened porch at their home, where he and Nancy spent many mornings enjoying coffee together.

Looking around the home they kept, there are traces of his style and handiwork everywhere. John enjoyed life immensely- he and Nancy loved to entertain family and friends at their home. Their New Year’s Eve Bunco parties were hard to beat!

He will be missed dearly by his family and friends.

As per the couple’s wishes, there will be no funeral service. Instead, consider celebrating John’s life by making a donation to the Alzheimer’s Association.

The family would like to give special thanks to Peace Health Hospice Care and the Ray Hickey Hospice House for their loving care and assistance.