Walter M. Thompson's Obituary
THOMPSON, Walter Mack
Born Sept. 10, 1924, in Brownsville, PA passed away peacefully in Sacramento on Oct. 23, 2014. Walt graduated from Brownsville High School in 1942. He was a bright student and an outstanding athlete excelling in baseball and football. He loved playing the trombone for his High School Marching Band. In WW II he served in the Army Air Corp from 1943 to 1946. Before shipping out to the South Pacific, he was stationed at McClellan AFB in Sacramento. It was here that he met his beloved Jeroline Green, of Rio Linda, CA, and they were married on Dec. 31, 1944 at the McClellan AFB Chapel in “Splinter City”.
Walt worked for Aerojet Gen. Corp. from 1958 – 1966 as a Liaison Engineer on the Polaris Program, as a Manufacturing Program Manager for the Titan III Transtage Liquid rocket engines, and Manager of Quality Control.
In Sept. 1972 Walt joined the City of Sacramento staff as an Engineering Administrator. In 1976 he was appointed as the city’s first Citizens Assistance Officer, and for the next 13 years he was the city’s ombudsman, handling complaints, resolving disputes, and investigating allegations of unfair treatment by the city. Walt had the rare experience of serving three mayors. He retired in Oct.1989, after serving the City of Sacramento for 17 years.
Walt is survived by his wife of 69 yrs., Jeroline Thompson; three children, Valerie Hooper (Gary), Shirley Ramey and Walter Mack Thompson Jr.; six grandchildren, Ericka Hooper, Daren Hooper, Adam Ramey, Jessica Ramey, Justin Thompson and Brittany Thompson, and two sisters, Roselma King and Barbara Brown (John).
Family and Friends are invited to attend a Memorial Service on Friday, Oct. 31th at 10:00 am at Calvary Lutheran Church, 5th and L Streets, Rio Linda, CA. Burial to follow immediately at Sunset Lawn Chapel of the Chimes, 4701 Marysville Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95838. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Calvary Lutheran Church or to the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) in memory of Walt’s granddaughter, Meagan.
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