Travis Ogden Thompson

Travis Ogden Thompson was born on May 2, 1935 in Woodbury, New Jersey. He was the son of Raymond and Helen Thompson. He was a direct descendant of David Ogden, who sailed with William Penn on the Welcome to the Philadelphia area in 1682. After graduating at the top of his Woodbury, N.J. high school class, in 1953, he received his BS in Commerce from the University of Virginia in 1957. While at the University, Travis was the president of Theta Chi fraternity for two years; a member of the governing board of the Interfraternity Council, and a member of Delta Sigma Pi, a business fraternity. He received his MBA from the University of Washington in 1964; and became a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, an international business honor society.Travis married Alice (Ali) Isabel Wood in September 1958, in Bedford Village, New York. After a tour of duty as a US Air Force auditor in California, he joined The Boeing Company in 1962. After early positions within the Aerospace Division as an internal consultant; and then in the corporate offices with responsibility for preparing the Company’s long range business plan; Travis moved into the Commercial Airplane side of the business, with management assignments in the administration and industrial engineering on the 737 airplane program. Following a transfer to Boeing Vertol, in Philadelphia, as the Manager, Manufacturing Engineering, Travis returned to Seattle to manage the simulator and propulsion programs during the development of the 757 airplane. After the 757 program went into production, Travis assumed responsibility for the development of the 737-500, a derivative of the basic 737. He then was the program manager for development of the 767-300 derivative. Before retiring in 1990, Travis was the senior program manager overseeing the delivery of all 747 and 767 airplanes. After purchasing a home in Wailea Kai in 1989, Travis and Ali moved to Wailea, Maui in 1990. In short order, he was appointed the Director of Finance for the County of Maui, where he served from 1991-1999. During his tenure, the County of Maui was awarded, annually, a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting. He introduced and implemented the circuit breaker program for homeowner property tax relief. He was also successful in decentralizing the DMV, opening satellite stations in several Maui locations.Following an unsuccessful campaign to elect a Republican Governor in 1998, he became the Finance Chair of the Hawaiian Republican Party and a member of its Executive Committee. In 2000 he was elected Republican National Committeeman for the State of Hawaii, serving during the eight years President George W. Bush was in office. Travis was successful in obtaining significant amounts of financial and technical assistance from the RNC in support of the Hawaii 2002 gubernatorial campaign. During this time, he was a key member of the successful effort to elect Linda Lingle as Governor. The Governor-elect asked him to organize, and manage the transition from the previous state administrations. He selected teams of people, who interviewed and recommended the top qualified candidates for each cabinet position. Political affiliation was not a criteria. All positions were filled prior to her becoming Governor. Governor Lingle appointed him to the Board of Directors of Hawaii Housing and Community Development Corporation of Hawaii in 2003 and he served through 2006. He was then appointed to the Board of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority, becoming its chairperson in 2007. He served through 2012. Each appointment required confirmation by the Hawaii State Senate.President Bush requested him to be in charge of fund raising for the Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign for the state. Hawaii led the nation, exceeding its goal by over 300%. Then, in 2008, before leaving office, President Bush again requested Travis take charge of the state’s fund raising for the Bush Presidential Center and Library in Dallas, Texas. The facility was fully funded prior to the ground breaking ceremony. Travis and Ali were guests at both the ground breaking and the dedication of the Center in Dallas, Texas.On Maui, Travis gave back to the community as a member of the Board of Maui United Way, from 1993 to 1999; first as treasurer and then as chair. He was chair of Big Brothers and Big Sisters in 2003. He served on the Board of Maui Arts and Cultural Center, as secretary. He served for six years on the Board of Habitat for Humanity – Maui, as treasurer and then as its chair. He is a past president of the Wailea Community Association, the Wailea Property Owners Golf Club, and the Wailea Kai Homeowners Association. He is survived by his wife Ali, son Tarn (Plano, Texas) and daughter, Lynne, (Raymond, Maine); and two granddaughters, Catie Walsh (South Boston, Mass) and C.C. Walsh, (New York, NY).

Donations can be made in Travis’ name to Seabury Hall, 480 Olinda Rd., Makawao, HI. 96768.