James C. Thompson

James C. Thompson was born in Corbin, KY on May 5, 1927 to Monroe C. and Edith C. (Kitts) Thompson. He died November 16, 2013. He was preceded in death by his parents and sisters, Lillian Burnside and Marjorie Arnold. He is survived by his wife, Sylvia Thompson; and three children, Kyle of Las Vegas, NV, Brian of Roseville, CA, and Stacy Daeschner (Steve) of Jeffersonville, IN; four granddaughters, Kelly and Kristin Thompson and Skylar and Shelby Daeschner; and nieces and nephews. He also leaves a sister-in-law, Norma Neumann-Andreassen of Fort Myers, FL. He attended St. Camillus Academy in Corbin, KY and graduated in 1944 as valedictorian. At 17, he worked briefly for Fercleve Corp. in Oak Ridge, TN. At 18, he entered the Marine Corps in August of 1945, and was stationed at Pensacola Naval Air Base. He was selected to attend a Marine Corps Japanese language school, but the next week the Japanese surrendered. Following his discharge from the Marines in 1946, he received a basketball scholarship at Eastern Kentucky, but was ineligible to play basketball, so instead he played baseball for one year. He enrolled in the fall of 1948 at Denver University for two quarters but started playing professional baseball the next spring. He signed with Lakeland, FL, a Detroit Tigers farm team. He continued his attendance at Denver University during the fall and winter quarters and was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. During the fall and winter quarters, he played AAU basketball for Continental Airlines. He continued to play professional baseball in the summers. He graduated in March of 1953, with a degree in radio and television management. While attending Denver University, he met his wife, Sylvia O. Neumann. They were married in Minneapolis, MN in June of 1953. Following graduation, he and Sylvia moved to Casper, WY where he began a broadcasting career which spanned over 45 years. He retired in 1997. His professional career began in March of 1953 when he started working for KSPR radio in Casper, WY. He worked for McClatchy Broadcasting from 1960 to 1982 in Bakersfield, Modesto, Sacramento, and Fresno, CA. From fall of 1982 to 1984, he worked in Topeka, KS and built KLDH-TV. From 1984 to 1987, Mr. Thompson worked in Lexington, KY and built WDKY-TV. From 1987 until 1997, he worked at KGUN in Tucson, AZ and KGGM to KRQE in Albuquerque, NM for Lee Enterprises. His wife and family want to give special thanks to all his friends who came by day after day to help ease his transition from this earthly world to his heavenly home. He will be interred in Kentucky, his home state. He always said he had the best childhood that anyone could have. Donations may be made to Faith Lutheran Church, 10000 Spain Rd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87111; Ambercare Hospice, 2129 Osuna Rd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87113, or your choice. FRENCH - Wyoming 7121 Wyoming Blvd. NE (505) 823-9400