Name: Bill Thompson
Nickname (that you know of!):
not I would answer to
Martial status: Married
Spouse's/Significant other's name: Ashi
Home address: Ramon de La Cerda 437 - Casa 3 - Limache - Chile
Phone #: (56) 33-418901 (on Google Earth: 32°59'24.09"S 71°16'29.83"W)
Cell phone #: (56) 99-419-0022
Your life since 1963: After college was drafted for a couple years then worked in Illinois and Ohio. Married and with our 1st child moved in Norway for five years, working in forest research. Gained two more boys and we returned to live in Clear Lake a short time thinking of opening a store, but worked at Winnebago. Then to Pella to work for 3M in Knoxville, IA. Divorce after 13 years, then brief re-marriage. Did single-dad, cub-master, and built a house. Moved with 3M to MN for my most satisfying years, starting ergonomics teams and programs in the US tape plants.
All the boys are launched and married. I took early retirement to do consulting and prepare to live in Nicaragua, where I moved in 2000, to largely-Creole Bluefields, to try and help in development for two years. Potent experiences. Then I saw an offer to manage the Baha'i center on St. Thomas, USVI and did the island for two years, still tropic beauty, coral, but with Ace Hardware & Wendies. Being lousy in Spanish I got back at it, and after five years in Chile am still lousy. Mr. Guillespie's class didn't sink in. But Chile is interesting to me. I'm re-married -- Ashi was born in Iran, got out with her family, and became a widowed mom in Argentina 25 years ago. Our goal - now of four years - is to act like US and Iran can get along. In all we have seven grandchildren, in Canada and US.
What classmates have you kept in contact with? : Got to a few reunions, saw Erik Erickson and Sue while at 3M a lot in St. Paul, greeted dear Janice (Klein) Treloar across from my brother's cabin, plus drop-ins on Bob Arneson.
What classmates would you like to hear from? : Well,.. everybody? Enjoy seeing you and your life stories. Appreciate when getting together how everyone enjoys everyone else.
Any hobbies? : Moving. Actually enjoy some retro stuff in this Chilean agro-world like drying and preserving food and using all the fruits and things here. Some gardens still have clay ovens, good BBQs, etc. -- people like to include you. Our patio is overflowing with plants -- just got blueberry (till now only for export) & pomegranate. We've decided on this town in a valley -- known for tomatoes, avocados, and horseback weekends, between Santiago and the coast. We're ready for our own house and it's a good solar power climate so I'll putter with all that.
Memories of Clear Lake: Nowhere to begin - my last return just walking out on a dock by the ugly hole that was Witkes was an onrush of the familiar -- not just single memories. Friendships, events, all the seasons. Nostalgia embellishes, but we of '63 did live at a golden time and place. But I remember winter - snowball fights between our church choirs after practice and then all studying in the library, grabbing onto car bumpers to drag on the slushy street, skating together between rinks joined along the lake, warming houses, gloves. I can smell the smells.
Favorite song of 1963 or earlier : Hmmmm.. the other day I heard The Platters' - 'Only You' and liked its schmaltziness that was our innocence of the time. (Don't think about it or you'll have it in your head all day.)
