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- David Michael Thompson
David Michael Thompson, age 75, of Fountain Hills, Ariz., died May 9, 2014, in Scottsdale, Ariz., at Hospice of the Valley after a short illness. His three children and sister, Diane Waterhouse, were by his side as he peacefully passed on.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 47 years, Donna Rae (Minikus) Thompson, who died July 3, 2008 in Phoenix, Ariz.
Dave was born in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1938, to John and Fay Thompson, and was the eldest of six children. Dave and Donna met in 1953, in church, and dated while attending Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs. They graduated in 1957, and Dave attended Yankton College in S.D., and later returned to Council Bluffs, to work for the railroad.
Dave and Donna married in July 1961, and Dave was drafted shortly afterward by the U.S. Army and the two were stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. Near the beginning of the Vietnam War, Donna begged him not to volunteer for an early deployment. Dave heeded her wish, and the subsequent troop transport plane he would have been on from Fort Leonard Wood crashed killing all on board.
Dave and Donna started their family in 1963, with the birth of Doug, followed by Joe in 1966, and Jenny in 1967. In 1964, Dave joined General Motors and began a 35-year plus career with the company, working for Chevrolet as a District Manager and living in Dubuque, Cedar Rapids and Urbandale, Iowa, and moving on to Overland Park, Kan., and Denver, Colo., from 1978 to 1986, where they met many friends. His children finished high school and moved on to college.
In 1986, Dave and Donna moved, first to Detroit, Mich., as Dave worked in the GM Corporate office, and then to Portland, Ore., and then to Los Angeles, Calif., where Dave retired from GM in 1999, and moved to Goodyear, Ariz., and finally to Fountain Hills in 2009. Dave's time in Arizona with Donna brought great joy being close to family and friends. He laughed, smiled and joked with the cousins once or twice a week during dinners, get-togethers and parties, and he entertained many people at his condo in Fountain Hills, where he was the president of the condo association for three years.
Dave loved to travel and visited his children often, with Doug in Florida and California, Joe in Albuquerque and Jenny in Denver. He also looked forward to the Gordon Family Reunions, with he last one attended in 2012, in Lyons, Colo., where he would hold court in the pool and regale his family with tales of his youth, as he did at Reunions in Branson, Mo., for many years.
Dave adored his grandchildren, Elena (age 20), Nathan (17), David (15), Finn (6) and Gia (4), and lavished time on them over the years. Dave spoke to all five grandchildren in the final hour before his death, and was treated to a rousing rendition of the Lion King theme by Gia that brought a smile to his face.
Dave is survived by his three children: son, Douglas Thompson and his wife, Ann, and son, Nathan, of Ventura, Calif.; son, Joseph Thompson and his wife, Angie, and son, Finn, and daughter, Gia, of Albuquerque; and daughter, Jenny Hansen and her daughter, Elena, and son, David, of Denver; brothers, John Thompson, of Parker, Colo., Jim Thompson, of Lenexa, Kan., Greg Thompson, of Castle Rock, Colo., Dan Thompson, of Westminster, Colo.; and sister, Diane Waterhouse, of Shafter, Calif.; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
No formal memorial service is planned. The family will be receiving cards in the care of Doug Thompson, 4918 Burns St., Ventura, Calif. 93003. Gifts in his memory should be directed to Hospice of the Valley Fund Development, 1510 E. Flower St., Phoenix, Ariz., 85014-5656. Phone: 602.530.6992.
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, d. 5 Dec 1998, Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, New Mexico, USA