Thomas Raymond Thompson Jr.

Thomas Thompson, Jr. (Tommy/Tom), age 80, of Beaverton, Oregon, passed away on Thursday, July 20, after a brief illness in which hospice and family provided care.

Tom was born and raised in Cody, Wyoming to a close-knit family. The highlight of his youth was attending Boy Scout Jamboree at Valley Forge in 1957. Tom attended Cody High School (1961) and was a member of the C Club, earning letters in basketball, football, and track; his 4x100 relay team won the 1961 Wyoming State Championship.

Tom attended the University of Wyoming and graduated with a degree in Range Management in 1966. During this time, he also married Susan Shepard (Cody High, 1963) and welcomed son, Tommy, and daughter, Andrea. Tom and family moved frequently during his years working for the Bureau of Land Management, beginning his career in Miles City, MT as a Range Conservationist and then transferring to Albuquerque, New Mexico where they were met with friends from Cody and later by Susan’s brother, Bill Shepard. The families gathered often for meals and other fun events. During the 1971 fire season, Tom was a crew boss earning enough to buy the family’s first home. He became a Lands Specialist, enjoying his work while his family loved the Southwest culture, creating many lasting memories as a result. While Tom and family lived in Farmington, New Mexico, they welcomed son, Todd.

Other career highlights for Tom included working in Washington, D.C. while taking an instrumental part in the Utah-Nevada Coal Lands Transfer Project, later featured in National Geographic. Tom served as the Assistant District Manager in Burns, OR and at the State BLM office in Public Affairs in Portland, OR. Tom was an early adopter of personal computers, both at work and at home, and one of the most enjoyable career projects for Tom was the creation of a replica assayers office for the centennial celebration commemorating the end of the Oregon Trail.

Tom had great, lifelong friendships, had a love of sports, reading, history, and a wide depth of knowledge. He had many interests over the years including bread-making, photography, playing cards, genealogy, and gourmet cooking. He loved fly fishing, especially in the Cody-area, where his family returned every summer for vacations. He enjoyed skiing, picnicking, and camping with his family. Tom had a lifelong passion for aviation, but due to having epilepsy, was unable to fulfill the desire to learn to fly. He dealt with this condition during a time when it was very misunderstood. He developed as a watercolor artist later in life. Tom’s greatest joy was his children and grandchildren and their activities.

Preceding Tom in death are his parents, Ray and Genevieve (Genny), brother, Ted Thompson, and niece, Tedra Nuspl.

He is survived by his former wife, Susan Caraveau of Hemet, CA, son Thomas of Lakeside, CA, daughter Andrea (John) Deskins of Kennewick, WA, son Todd (Tricia) of Portland, OR, grandchildren Max Thompson, Andrew Deskins, Jacob Thompson, Lauren Thompson, Taylor Thompson, sister Lou Gen (John) Nuspl of Windsor, CO, nephew Ty (Melissa) Thompson, and nieces, Tessie (Pat) Rabold, Johnelle (Corey) Shaw, Janae (Robert) Cywes, seven great nieces and nephews, and one great-great niece.

A family gathering will take place at Riverside Cemetery at a later date.

Online guestbook: dignitymemorial.com/obituaries; Young’s Funeral Home, Tigard, OR

In lieu of flowers, send contributions to: Epilepsy Foundation, www.epilepsy.com or Cody Schools Education Foundation, 113 Sunlight Road, Cody, WY 82414, (307) 421-3764