Arthur Raymond Thompson, 81, of LaFayette, Georgia, went to be with the Lord April 3, 2020, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, surrounded by his loving family.
He was born May 5, 1938, in Groveton, Tx., to the late Charles Alton Thompson and Annie Vashti Swor Thompson.
He grew up in Lufkin, Tx., was a 1956 graduate of Lufkin High School, and a proud trombone player in the Lufkin High Panther Band. He graduated from Florida (Christian) College in Temple Terrace, Fl., where he met and married Alice Ann Church of Hundred, WV on September 1, 1957. He furthered his studies at Rollins College, Fairmont State University, and completed an intensive training course taught by MIT professors, gaining the equivalent of a Master’s Degree in Computer Science.
He is survived by Alice Ann (Church) Thompson, his wife of 62 ½ years; two sons and one daughter, Alton Thompson, Amy Payne, and Mark Thompson; two sisters, Martha Lynn Brozak and Melba Jane Vaughn; one brother, Charles Henry Thompson; 11 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.
Mr. Thompson was preceded in death by older (infant) brother, Jerry Alton Thompson; and sister, Elizabeth Ann Singleton.
In the 1960s he worked as a news reporter on the Cape Canaveral “beat” for WFTV Channel 9 and WESH-TV Channel 2 in Orlando. He also did “stringer” work for outlets such as ABC and NBC. As a reporter for UPI Audio he covered the last Mercury flight, the Gemini and Apollo programs, and three Skylab missions. He was privileged to report Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the surface of the moon to an international radio audience of over 30 million, setting a record for the largest radio audience for any event up to that date.
He later worked for the Republican Party of Florida, traveling the state recruiting candidates to run for office, and for various Florida candidates and legislators such as Senator Beth Johnson and Jack Eckerd.
Mr. Thompson had a 20-year career at Southern Bell in Ft. Lauderdale and Miami, retiring as a Marketing Manager in 1991, and relocating to north Georgia in 1993. In retirement, he volunteered in local politics, serving as chairman of the Walker County Republican Party, and volunteering in local campaigns, including the campaign of Chancellor Frank Brown in Chattanooga.
Mr. Thompson was known for his faith in God, insatiable curiosity, his quick wit, and his love for his family. One friend aptly described him as “a Nathanael, one in whom there was no guile.”
The family wishes to thank Dr. Michael Wilson, Dr. Donald Hetzel, Leona White and the rest of the wonderful staff of Hearth Hospice, and loving caretakers, Tammy Queen, Debbie Taylor, and Sandra Banks.
A private family viewing will be held on Tuesday, April 7, 2020.
A memorial service will be held in the future after all of this stupid COVID-19 stuff is over.
Arrangements are by the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory and Florist, 5401 Highway 153, Hixson, Tn. 37343.
Please share your thoughts and memories at www.chattanooganorthchapel.com.