Edward Allen Thompson
May 28, 1926 - July 17, 2019 Almaden, San Jose
It is with great sadness that the family of Allen Thompson announces his passing on Wednesday, July 17, 2019, at the age of 93 years.
Al was born on May 28, 1926 in Chicago and moved to southern California with his mother at the age of 15. He completed high school early in order to join the Navy Air Corps at the age of 17. After naval engineering schooling in 1944 he became an Aviation Cadet and had completed basic flight training when WW II ended in 1946. Al graduated from UCLA in 1949 with a degree in Economics and later completed the MBA program at Santa Clara University.
The bulk of his working career was with the Lockheed Corporation where he rose through the ranks into management positions and ultimately became Vice Pres. of Operations for the Lockheed Missiles & Space Company in Sunnyvale, CA. Subsequently, he was promoted to Corporate Vice President, Operations in southern California and later retired from there.
He returned to the Bay Area after retirement in 1992 and served as a consultant for Lockheed. Then he worked as a Senior Advisor to the city of Lyon, France for over two years. He was also active in the community by volunteering at the Tech Museum of Silicon Valley. While there he worked in the Development organization for three years raising funds from local industry to support the new museum facility in the heart of San Jose. In addition, he was a member of the Hoover Institution. He did volunteer work for the local library. Later, Al served as an instructor & coordinator for the AARP Senior Driving Program. Next, he performed various volunteer tasks for The Salvation Army, his favorite charity. Further, Al served as Vice Chair of the Lockheed Martin H. J. Brown Luncheon Group in Palo Alto.
Al was an avid golfer and charter member of the Almaden Country Club. He served on the Senior Council as Captain for two years and was elected to the Board of Directors in the mid 90’s and served as President in 1999. He remained active on several committees and played golf until he reached the age of 90.
Al is survived by his loving wife of over 53 years, Barbara and two sons Terry and Steven, along with three grandchildren, Christine, Patrick and Stephanie plus three great grand-children named Anna, Daniel and Michael.
Al was a charming, ambitious and respected man throughout his career and life. He was a generous, loving and compassionate humanitarian who made a lasting impact on everyone who met him. Al will always be remembered as an extraordinary father, husband and friend and will be dearly missed.
A celebration in his honor will be held on Saturday, August 17, from 11:00am to 2:00pm, at the Almaden Country Club, 6663 Hampton Drive, San Jose. Donations may be sent to The Salvation Army or the Disabled American Veterans (DAV).