Lonnie Thompson

Lonnie H. Thompson, Jr. was born over a century ago in Hattiesburg, MS; he died just shy of his 102nd birthday in Gainesville, FL. During those nearly 102 years, he served in WWII, graduated from college, married, raised a family, and sang frequently (over the objections of his two sons). A loving and dedicated husband and father, and a proud grandfather, he modeled the practice of putting others before self.

He started college at Mississippi State, but dropped out to join the Merchant Marines during WWII. Following the war, he finished his degree at Baylor, then returned to Mississippi, where he met his future wife, Pattie. After a brief courtship, they married in Hattiesburg, then made several job-related moves before settling in Gainesville in 1971, where they remained for the rest of their days.

His early career was in banking, and he rose to the position of president of the Commercial Bank in Gainesville. Later, he became a small business owner, with stores in Alachua, High Springs, and Lake City. Service to others was a bedrock value for him, especially through church service; he was active in Methodist Men, served a term as the district lay leader, and much later celebrated his 80th birthday on a church-building mission trip in Brazil.

He is survived by his two sons, Larry Thompson and Tom (Sharon) Thompson; and his three grandchildren Becky (Wil) Stokes, David Thompson, and Daniel Thompson.

His celebration of life service will be held Monday, October 19, at 11AM in the chapel at First United Methodist Church, 419 NE 1st St, Gainesville. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to First United Methodist Church or Residing Hope Florida (formerly Florida United Methodist Children’s Home).