Thompson, Guy

Other Events:

• Obituary: 27 Jan 2016; Appleton Post Crescent

Notes:

Obituary:
Guy R. Thompson, 85 of Appleton, died Sunday January 10, 2016, at his residence. He was born in Appleton, February 18, 1930, son of the late Charles and Leone (Storm) Thompson. Guy married Erma Glaser on June 26, 1954.Guy loved both sailing and flying. At the age of 17 his Dad wouldn't let him buy a motorcycle (too dangerous!) so instead he brought a J-3 Piper Cub and had to ride his bicycle to his flight lessons. He got his private pilot license and owned airplanes over 40 years. Flying out of first the Neenah airport and then Appleton he lived by his motto "I'd rather be sitting on the ground wishing I was in the air vs. sitting in my airplane in the sky, wishing I was on the ground." Highlights included flying his son and his friends to a Fox City Foxes league championship baseball game and flying his son down to Purdue for his college orientation. He also started a traditional Thanksgiving flight to have breakfast at a local regional airport. He grew up in a sailing family and as a member of the Lawrence Street Yacht Club he built boats and sailed for many years. Guy & Erma loved to travel. They vacationed in all fifty states and took too many cruises and foreign trips to count.Guy served his country in the U.S. Naval Reserve, retiring as a Chief Warrant Officer after 30 years. Among his assignments he served as the Executive Officer for the USS Ely as well as the Blue & Gold officer for the US Naval Academy representing NE Wisconsin.In 1951 Guy and his brothers bought lake frontage property on John Lake in Lakewood, WI. They built a cottage where Guy and his family spent many summer weekends while his son and his grandchildren were growing up.Guy was a great Dad and fantastic grandfather to his three grandchildren. He and Erma took the grandchildren on many exotic vacations and you could often see him wearing the Black and Gold of his son's and granddaughter's alma mater or the Blue and Gold of his two grandsons'. Their living room served as the arena for countless number of games of "c! rash-up cars" and highly competitive cribbage games between him & his grandchildren.Guy was a self-made man. He was not able to fulfill his dream of going to college due to the war, but he made sure to instill that desire in the hearts of his son and grandchildren. He and Erma were a welcome sight on their many weekend college visitation trips. The evening always ended with him driving a car load of students to the local restaurant. He was not a real sports fan but was always hoarse by halftime of the Purdue football games. After graduating from Appleton High school, he worked for 15 years as a printer for Petersen Press. Finding himself falling asleep at his press due to boredom, he vowed to improve himself and his career. He started taking electrical classes - in those days it was through the mail. He quit the printing business in the early 60's and started his fifty year electrical career as a salesmen for Electrical Contractor Supply and it wasn't long before he met up with George and Robert Boehm to form Boehm Electric. Guy was the inside man and built the original two-man house wiring firm into the largest Electrical Contractor in the Valley. Guy continued studying and was awarded a national Professional Engineering license. Deciding to concentrate on the engineering aspect of a project, Guy sold his contracting firm in the early 80's and took an electrical engineering position at Marathon Engineering (now Poyry) to work side by side with his son. After a dozen year career designing industrial power distribution systems (including the first ever Post-it line for 3M) at Marathon he "retired" to open his one-man engineering firm, Guyson. Enjoying the view from his corner office on the eighth floor of downtown Appleton's Zuelke building, he designed commercial projects for over twenty years, finally closing the door on his firm when he was 82.Guy was a long time member of the Toastmasters, the Neenah-Menasha Breakfast Optimist club, the Neenah Rotary and then the Appleton Rotary. In the Rotary club h! e served ! for many years as the Rotary Exchange Coordinator. The foreign exchange students became like a second family to him and many of European trips for him and Erma were to visit his "second" family. Guy is survived by his loving wife of 61 years, Erma; his son Steve (Debbie), Menasha; three grandchildren, Craig (Rachel), Kalamazoo, MI., Mike, Chicago, IL., and Sheri, Minneapolis, MN; a great-grandson, Nathan; and two sisters-in-law, Delores Thompson, Appleton, and Cleo Thompson, South Carolina. He is further survived by many nieces, nephews, and cousins. Guy was preceded in death by three brothers; Glenn, Jack, and Bob; and his sister, Jean.Funeral service for Guy will be at 11:00 AM on Friday February 5, 2016, at First Congregational United Church of Christ, 724 E South River St., Appleton, with Rev. Stephen Savides officiating. Visitation will be at the church on Friday February 5, from at 9:00 until 10:30 AM. Entombment will be at Highland Memorial Park. Memorials may be made in Guy's name to: The American Red Cross, 515 S Washburn St., Suite 201, Oshkosh, WI 54904.Guy's family would like to extend a special thank you to Dr. Lee Vogel as well as Brianna, CNA at Touchmark; and Barb, RN and Dave, RN from Heartland Hospice, for all of their care and compassion.Dad, Grandpa - "you will be deeply missed, especially your wonderful unique sense of humor. We love you and will never forget you."

Guy married Glaser, Erma 26 Jun 1954. Erma (daughter of Glaser, Lester and Kirchner, Louise) was born 19 Oct 1921, Grand Chute, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA; died 11 May 2018, Appleton, Outagamie, Wisconsin, USA. [Group Sheet]