"In Loving Memory"

Marcus Alexander Thompson

Born Feb 19th 2000, Died Feb 19th 2000

Our son who wasn't....

....AND A SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO

A GREAT MAN....

Willard A. Thompson Sr. 1925-1976

HIS NAME IS "BILL"...  VERY ACTIVE IN  OUR COMMUNITY.  HE WAS RECOGNIZED AS "THE VOICE OF MATER DEI" IN HIS YEARS WITH THE MATER DEI HIGH SCHOOL BOOSTER CLUB, NEW MONMOUTH, NJ.  THE VOICE WAS GIVEN TO HIM BECAUSE OF HIS WELL KNOWN ABILITY TO BE HEARD FOR MILES AWAY DURING HIS ANNOUNCEMENTS OF PLAY BY PLAY ACTION IN THE PRESS BOX ABOVE THE BLEACHERS AT THE VARSITY FOOTBALL GAMES.   WHAT A GREAT GUY !

  WHAT A PLAY !!!!!!!!

DURING HIS WONDERFUL YEARS ON THIS EARTH, BILL GRADUATED FROM TEANECK H.S., IN TEANECK, NJ.  FROM THERE HE THEN SERVED WITH THE US NAVY AND SPENT FOUR GLORIOUS YEARS FIGHTING FOR OUR COUNTRY DURING W.W.II.   OUT OF THE US NAVY,  THEN ATTENDED RUTGERS UNIVERSITY AND EARNED A BACHELORS DEGREE IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION.  HE THEN MARRIED A WONDERFUL WOMAN, "JOAN". FROM WHICH LATER HAD TWO WONDERFUL CHILDREN. OUT OF COLLEGE HE LANDED SALES POSITIONS WITH SMITH CORONA, BURROWS BUSINESS MACHINES, AND LATER A CAREER WITH GTE SELLING MAIN FRAME COMPUTERS, THERE HE WORKED FOR MANY YEARS TO COME. BILL & HIS NEW FAMILY RELOCATED TO A SMALL TOWN IN MONMOUTH COUNTY CALLED MIDDLETOWN. AFTER A FEW YEARS IN THIS FINE COMMUNITY THEY HAD ANOTHER CHILD.   DURING BILL'S OFF TIME HE WOULD PARTICIPATE IN COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES, LIKE THE AFOREMENTIONED M.D.H.S BOOSTER CLUB, THE SAINT MARY'S ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (S.M.A.A.), MIDDLETOWN YOUTH ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (M.Y.A.A.),  AND THE CHRISTIAN YOUTH ORGANIZATION (C.Y.O.) .  HE LIKE OTHERS IN THE COMMUNITY HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO HOLD THE POSITION OF PRESIDENT IN THE MYAA AND SMAA CLUBS.  HE REALLY MADE A DIFFERENCE IN MANY YOUNG PEOPLES LIVES.  BILL ALSO SPENT TIME BEING A COACH IN THESE ORGANIZATIONS.  HE ALSO CONTRIBUTED HIS TIME AS A CHARTER MEMBER OF THE VINCE LOMBARDI KNIGHT OF COLUMBUS.   COACHING GIRLS BASKETBALL WAS ONE OF THE FINEST ACTIVITIES BILL WOULD LOVE TO DO.   HE HAS ALSO COACHED MYAA LITTLE LEAGUE BASEBALL AS WELL. 

KNOWN AS A COMMUNITY LEADER IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS, ONE OF HIS HOBBIES WAS ELECTRONICS.  BILL WOULD MAKE SURE THE PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS IN MATER DEI AND MIDDLETOWN H.S. FOOTBALL FIELD, THE FIELDS OUT IN BODMAN PARK, THE SAINT MARY'S FAIR & PARISH PICNICS WORKED BETTER THAN EVER, SO THAT THE ANNOUNCERS WOULD BE HEARD FOR MILES AROUND.  NO ONE HAD A HEARING PROBLEM IN THOSE DAYS...!!!   ANOTHER HOBBY OF BILL WAS PHOTOGRAPHY.  HE HAS TAKEN QUITE THE NUMBER OF SHOTS, FROM MANY SPORTING EVENTS TO MARVELOUS VACATIONS.   I DO RECALL THAT THERE MUST BE CLOSE TO 10,000 PIX ON SLIDES AND PRINTS OF THE MANY DIFFERENT PLACES BILL HAS BEEN DURING HIS TIME ON THIS EARTH.   I MYSELF HAVE SEEN MOST OF THEM, AND THEY ARE RATHER ENTERTAINING. "THE LINK BELOW WILL TAKE YOU ON A HISTORY TOUR OF CAMERAS, SOME OF WHICH WERE BILL'S".

OH BY THE WAY THIS IS A TRIBUTE TO A MAN NAMED "BILL".  A WONDERFUL PERSON, A CARING & RESPONSIBLE FATHER, AND AN ALL AROUND GREAT FRIEND.  FOR THOSE WHO KNEW HIM, I AM SURE YOU UNDERSTAND, AND REMEMBER HOW AND WHO HE WAS.  FOR THOSE WHO WOULD HAVE LIKED TO KNOW HIM, THIS SMALL TRIBUTE IS ONLY A TASTE. IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION YOU COULD FIND IT AT THE MIDDLETOWN YOUTH ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION LOCATED IN MIDDLETOWN, NJ. 

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