John A. Thompson's Obituary
On Tuesday August 4, 2020, John Alan Thompson loving husband and father of two, passed unexpectedly into eternal life at the age of 71.
John was born on July 18, 1949 in Levittown, New York to Richard and Adrienne Thompson. He was a graduate of Longview High School, Class of ’67, and the Calhoon MEBA Engineering School in Baltimore, Maryland.
While in Baltimore, John met the love of his life Barbara. They wed on August 7, 1971 and will celebrate their forty-ninth wedding anniversary today. Together they raised two sons, Michael and Adam.
In August 1974 John joined the Longview Police Department where he achieved the rank of Sergeant. He retired from the LPD in April of 2005. He decided to join the Gregg County Sheriff’s Department in 2007, again achieving the rank of Sergeant until his retirement in July of 2015. While working for each agency, he was recognized as Supervisor of the Year. It was his honor to serve the citizens of Longview and Gregg County and we are immensely proud of his unrelenting dedication to helping people.
John enjoyed his time at home often gardening with Barbara and tending to his numerous bird feeders for both his personal enjoyment and that of his grandchildren. He loved his sons, their wives and his grandchildren more than anything in this world. As the patriarch of his family, he would do anything for his brothers and sisters. He had a heart of gold and was just the greatest. We are heartbroken. We love you Papa John and we’ll miss you forever.
John was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Richard. He is survived by his soulmate Barbara; son Michael and wife Carolyn and their children Alyssa(13), Aiden(11) and Adalyn(5); son Adam and wife Laura and their children Porter(2) and Holden(3wks). He is also survived by his sister Maureen(George); brother Tom(Sheryl); sister Lee Ann(Bobby) and brother Spencer(Karen) and several nieces and nephews.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held for John on Saturday, August 8, 2020, 1 p.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic Church. It will be preceded by a Rosary at 12:30. Face mask are mandatory and social distancing will be in affect inside of the Church. Out of concern for the ongoing COVID pandemic, the funeral will also be live streamed on St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Longview, TX Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/stmaryslongview/). There will be no visitation but viewing will be available Friday from 2pm-8pm
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the American Cancer Society.
What’s your fondest memory of John?
What’s a lesson you learned from John?
Share a story where John's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with John you’ll never forget.
How did John make you smile?