Charles Alfred Thompson, 101, passed away Sep 17 - just two weeks shy of his 102nd birthday. Thompson or "Uncle Al" as he was known to everyone, was born on Sep 29, 1906 in Lebo, Kansas to parents Thomas and Maude Thompson.
He was the second of nine children - all of whom are deceased, with the exception of brohter Wayne Starling Thompson of Salina, KS.
Thompson moved to Jackson, MI in 1926, and married Helen Dickinson in 1932. His wife preceded him in death, passing away in Nov of 1996.
On his hundredth birthday, Thompson said, "In the back of my mind, I was thinking it was my job to take care of her and I did the best I could."
In 1936, he served in the US Army during WWII - being deployed to England.
"There are three years I would just as soon forget," he said. "And that was when I was in the Army."
When he returned to the country, he worked for the Dana Corporation in Toledo, OH. He retired from this job in 1968, when he was 62 years old.
Thompson and his wife were always surrounded by children of either friends or family, but never did have any of their own.
After his wife's death, he lived with his niece and nephew, Ray and Judy Dancer at North Blue Lake. When asked about the secrets to his longevity, he said, "I never gave it a thought. I always was taking care of someone else. I like having people around."
Thompson's 100th birthday was the subject of an article written by Heidi Berden in The Leader and Kalkaskian, which is the newspaper of record in Kalkaska, MI. Quotes were taken from this article.
Thompson moved to Generations Assisted Living in Williamsburg in Nov 2005.
He was a member of the Stockbridge United Methodist Church. His hobbies included fishing, playing baseball and gardening.
Thompson's funeral was held in Stockbridge, MI on Sep 20.
