Allan Dale Thompson

Allan was born January 22, 1930, to Lethia Voncile Curts and Alonzo Dale Thompson in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in the Midwest and was Valedictorian of Lake Orion High School in Michigan, Class of 1947, where he played basketball and was a guitarist in the school jazz band.

His family moved to Arizona in 1947 where he attended the Arizona Normal School (now ASU) to study pre-med. In 1948, he transferred to the University of Michigan. He joined the United States Army in 1952 and served until 1955. He was First Lieutenant and Aide-de-Camp to Brigadier General WR Slaughter and then Brigadier General Joseph Horridge. While in the Army, he was awarded the National Defense Service Medal. As Allan left the military, in a letter of reference, General Horridge wrote: “Lieutenant Thompson has a very high degree of intelligence along with other characteristics essential to a natural leader and manager. His ability to analyze and evaluate and then to integrate into a completed plan is outstanding for a person of his age.”

Allan married Evelyn Lorell Sheppard in 1953, in Aberdeen, Maryland, and subsequently had three children, Allan Dale, Jr.; Jeffrey Jay; and Karen Irene. Upon leaving the Army in 1955, the family moved to Antioch, California where Allan worked at Fiberboard Container Corp. In 1963, they moved to New Brighton, Minnesota where Allan was superintendent at Northwestern Box Company (PCA), before moving on to ATS Steel, a specialty steel distribution company. Over the course of his career, Allan worked in various General Management and Sales roles in a number of manufacturing and services companies. His special expertise was in organizing and streamlining processes and bringing operational efficiency to whatever he touched. The family moved to Scottsdale, Arizona in 1978 where Allan finished his career at Southwest Mold, a specialty plastics company.

Allan retired in 1994 to Mesa, Arizona where he loved playing golf, billiards, fishing, and listening to Southern Gospel music. He was a member of the Red Mountain Community Church in Mesa, Arizona for over 20 years, and was a founding equity member of Alta Mesa Golf Club.

Allan was a man of strong principles, firm values, and few words; but was fond of saying, “The harder I work, the luckier I get.” And judging by the quality of his life and legacy, he obviously worked very hard.

Allan is survived by his wife of 65 years, Evelyn Lorell Thompson; his children A. Dale Thompson, Jr. and his wife Vicki from Irving, Texas; Jeffrey Jay Thompson and his wife Candy from Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Karen Irene Samson and husband Robert from Mesa, Arizona. He is also survived by grandchildren, Jacob Thompson, Allan Thompson, Shawn Thompson, and great-grandchildren, Macyee Thompson, Zoey Thompson, and Bryson Thompson.

He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Loretta Lunsford, and grandson David Samson.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to the “Let Your Light Shine Fund,” c/o Lake Whitney Arts, PO Box 1463, Whitney, TX 76692. The fund was originally established to support Whitney’s Stage One Children’s Theatre, in honor of Allan’s grandson, David Samson. (https://worthyleadership.com/newsletter/let-light-shine-fund-established-support-stage-one-childrens-theatre/?frame=0)

The family is planning a Celebration of Life for September 22, 2018 in Mesa, AZ. For additional details and information please contact [email protected]. Condolence messages can be left at mariposagardens.com. Final interment will be in Bel Air, Maryland.