NATIONALLY ACCLAIMED
Legal Expert in Labor and Employment Law
September 27, 1936 – January 31, 2021
Robert LeGrande Thompson, Sr. died peacefully on January 31, 2021 in Milton, Georgia. He was 84 years old.
Bob was born on a tenant tobacco farm in Abbott’s Township, Bladen County, North Carolina. He was the youngest of nine children born to Cecile Agnes LeQueux and Frederick Weaver Thompson. After his mother’s death, Bob went to live with his sister Cecile Thompson Mouchet in Atlanta. He attended Henry Grady High School before joining the Navy in 1954. He served four years on the USS George during the Korean War.
Bob went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on the GI Bill and graduated with BS and a JD. A member of the Phi Alpha Delta fraternity, he received the American Jurisprudence Award for highest grades achieved in Labor and Employment Law.
After law school, Bob returned to Atlanta and spent two years as a trial attorney with the National Labor Board. He then joined the firm of Constangy and Prowell and made partner in 1972. The following year, he became a founding partner of Elarbee, Clark & Paul. From 1983 until his retirement in 2003, Bob served as senior and managing partner of Elarbee Thompson, LLP. He always said that the very best years of his law career were those he shared with his treasured friend, Fred Elarbee.
Bob was a Charter and Emeritus Fellow of the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. His litigation skills were nationally recognized and earned him many honors, including Martindale – Hubbell’s 100 Best Lawyers in America, Georgia Super Lawyers, Martindale – Hubbell’s AV+ Rating, and the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers
He was a member of the Civil War Round Table of Atlanta, the South Carolina Huguenot Society, and the Atlanta History Center. Bob greatly enjoyed the monthly lunches of the Grady High School Alumni at Cross Creek Café.
A devoted family man, Bob touched many lives with his generosity, wisdom, and kindness. His sense of humor revealed keen insights and he loved to make others laugh with a well-told joke or quick, dry remark. He was an avid reader and a scholar of history; he played a mean game of pool; he loved to put his headphones on and listen to music. He was a devoted UNC Tar Heels fan and especially enjoyed watching games with his children and grandchildren.
Bob was the beloved husband of Anne “Dee” (Conard) Thompson, Alpharetta, GA, for 44 years. He was the proud father of Valerie Thompson Dowling & husband Don, Canton, GA, Lori Anne Fleming, Seattle, WA, Jennifer Thompson Daniel, Canton, GA, US Army Major Dixon “Bo” Conard Reeves, Canton, GA, and Robert LeGrande Thompson, Jr. & wife Elizabeth, Woodstock, GA. Bob is survived by seven loving grandchildren, Shannon Daniel, Kathryn, Robert III, Owen, and Haley Thompson, and Isabelle and Conner Reeves, as well as Valerie and Jennifer’s mother Priscilla Wyndham and countless friends.
Arrangements are under the care of H.M. Patterson & Son. A graveside service for immediate family only will be held at Georgia National Cemetery on February 9, 2021.
