Jack Thompson was born in Beaumont, Texas on May 16, 1928, to Rayburn and Winnie Thompson. At the age of 8 his family moved to Nederland, Texas, and it was at about this time Jack began to go with his cousin to assemblies at the local Church of Christ. At Jack's urging, his parents who were unchurched began to attend as well, and they were converted. Jack himself was baptized at the age of 14.
Funeral services will be 2:00 PM, Thursday, February 21, at Claybar Kelley-Watkins Funeral Home, Beaumont, TX with Mr. Mark Legendre and Mr. Fred Stacey officiating. Interment will follow at Oak Bluff Cemetery in Pt. Neches. The family will receive friends Wednesday from 5:00 - 8:00 PM at the funeral home.
He graduated from Nederland High School in 1946, and was a member of the football team. He said was one of two students who had an automobile at the time, having earned the money to buy it by working at a dairy farm before and after school.
In 1946 he enrolled at Lamar State College of Technology in Beaumont to study architecture. In his sophomore year he took a speech class and, realizing he had ability in that area, began to desire to preach instead. He transferred to Abilene Christian College for his junior year, earning his degree in Bible two years later. His fiancée, Lewanda June Daw of Nederland, began working toward a business degree at Abilene during this time.
Jack's first full-time work as a minister was with the church at Stanley, Louisiana. He and June were married on June 22nd, 1951, while he was working there. They celebrated 61 years together last year.
His next work was in Sour Lake, Texas, and here their daughter Jacquelyn was born in 1955. He worked there for three years before moving to the West Groves church in Groves, Texas, and children Junelle and Jimmy were born there. During these years, he began to supplement his income by working as a printer, and for many years was part owner of the Preceptor Publishing Company in Beaumont. After a few years in Groves, he moved to work with the church at Bridge City, Texas.
His next work was with the North Main church in Vidor, Texas, where he labored for 15 years, and where June taught school. Toward the end of this time he determined to retire from full-time preaching work, and spent two years finishing an English degree with a teaching certificate at Lamar University, graduating in 1979. He spent 11 years teaching in Vidor, at the same time working again with the Bridge City church on a part time basis, and then with the White Park church in Anahuac, Texas, where he kept his travel trailer parked so that he could avoid a long Sunday morning drive.
He retired after teaching school for 11 years and began to spend half of his time working with the church in Anahuac. He was there for a total of 15 years, and at this time, he created and built a web site comprising a great deal of Bible class material and the text for sermons and radio lessons, and where he taped the lessons for the radio station in Liberty, Texas, which aired every Sunday morning for over 12 years
Jack and June loved to travel, and some of their and their children's favorite memories are of the long trips they took by car each summer, pulling a travel trailer behind, able this way to see much of the continental U.S. After the children were grown, Jack and June had the opportunity to travel more, in total having seen every U.S. state except North Dakota, and overseas as well, visiting Egypt, Israel, and several countries in Europe.
Jack was also an avid golfer, and had two holes-in-one to his credit -Â? 50 years apart!