(cont'd) helped me to feel that I didn’t have to give up my dream of becoming a Doctor.  
Uncle Tom was very encouraging, and a few years later wrote a letter of recommendation for me for Medical School.  He gave me a copy of the letter to review, and kept a straight face as he handed it to me.  As I read the letter later at home, I first thought “Oh my Lord, now I’ll never get in”, but as I kept reading, I literally laughed out loud.  The letter he gave me was an obvious prank, with dubious descriptions of my mental capabilities.  I didn’t know this at the time, but apparently Uncle Tom and my Father regularly sent very formal appearing letters to one another, though obviously a prank.  The letters were somewhat analogous to a “comedy roast”, describing the recipient in quite unfavorable terms.  I still have the dubious recommendation letter from Uncle Tom, and it is a very cherished possession of mine.
I remember the first time we saw Uncle Tom and Aunt Marilyn after he got his LVAD.  He was very excited to show it to us and explain how it worked.  He had a customized fishing vest with special pockets for the battery, and a spare battery.  He explained that if the LVAD stopped, he would immediately lose consciousness, and Aunt Marilyn would have to change the battery, or troubleshoot another problem, within minutes.  As he described this, Aunt Marilyn showed a confidently fearful look on her face, and explained that she has had a lot of training and practice, just in case this ever happened.  Uncle Tom then said “You know what’s really amazing?  I don’t have a pulse”, and he had us feel his wrist.  He was indeed correct, there was no pulse.  Uncle Tom faced this challenge as he did everything else his whole life, with great faith, and an indomitable happy attitude.
Uncle Tom was a cheerful, caring and kind soul, and I always felt his unconditional love and acceptance, even when I didn’t deserve it.  I loved him and feel very fortunate to have had him in my life.

I have so many memories of Uncle Tom, that it’s difficult to pick my favorites to share.  Many of my best childhood memories involve Uncle Tom, Aunt Marilyn, Tommy, Tim, and Teri.  In my mind, I can still see Uncle Tom, wearing his cowboy hat and boots, driving his 1946 Willys. Once a year Uncle Tom and my Father would get the families together to go to the back of Shaver Lake and get firewood.  The Dads would run the chainsaws, fell the trees, and cut the logs to size.  The wives and kids would load the wood into the trailer to take back to Uncle Tom’s cabin for splitting and stacking.  As we grew, the kids were taught how to run the chainsaws.  Uncle Tom was a great instructor, patient and kind, with loads of great tips.  After a hard day’s work, Uncle Tom and the families would enjoy the lake fishing or water skiing.  
Uncle Tom always out-fished my Dad.  My Dad swore that he’d lure the fish to nibble on his bait, and then Uncle Tom would catch that fish.  One time the Moms were taking Uncle Tom on a ski ride at dusk.  Uncle Tom fell, but the Moms didn’t know because they were too busy chatting (though they may dispute this), and by the time they noticed that Uncle Tom was down, they couldn’t see him in the water.  They turned around and drove the boat as slowly as they could, hollering for him and praying they didn’t run over him in the dark.  They did find him safely.  
As a young man, I got into trouble and was kicked out of PUC.  I came home quite ashamed, and did not want to see anyone I had disappointed.  My parents took me to church in short order.  At church, I stayed in the foyer at Fresno Central with my Dad, who was a deacon at the time.  Uncle Tom was one of the deacons that week, and greeted me warmly. He began, and the other deacons followed his lead, and they regaled me with stories of their own youthful misadventures.  They were all successful Dentists, and their stories of overcoming youthful choices to become pillars of the community (cont'd)

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Thomas Thompson

July 22, 1933 – January 11, 2022

Montecito Memorial Park and Mortuary

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