Oregon native, Joe Thompson, died in Gresham on January 17, 2012. He was 89.
A memorial service with Military Honors will be held at 1:00 PM on Friday, January 27, at Sandy Funeral Home. Private burial will be Cliffside Cemetery.
He was born Joseph Frederick Thompson in Portland, to Thales Frederick and Katie (McConnell) Thompson on December 25, 1922. When he was six, he went to live with his aunt and uncle, on their farm near Estacada, where he graduated from high school in 1940.
In 1942, Joe entered the U.S. Navy. While on leave in 1945, he married Shirley Tucker of Estacada on May 3rd. After his discharge, they lived in Corvallis where he attended Oregon State College for two years. They lived in Portland and Gresham prior to making their permanent home in Sandy in 1967. Shirley preceded him in death in 2001.
Joe worked at Reynolds Metal for 24 years, ten years at production foreman and two years as millwright foreman. He worked in Venezuela for two years before retiring to their farm on Marmot Road.
Surviving are his sons, Donald of Portland and Daniel of Sandy; daughters, JoAnne Groshart of Bellevue, Washington, Molly Thompson of Tacoma and Carrie Sutherland of Dallas Texas; sister, Dorothy Loudon of Sun City, Arizona; 12 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. He was also preceded in death be a daughter, Jean McQuinn in 1994.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Audubon Society in his memory.