William Thompson

William C. Thompson, 90, President of Sagamore Spring Golf Club, Copley Artist,
Chronicled Life in the Yankee Division during WW II

William C. Thompson of Lynnfield, former president and general manager of Sagamore Spring Golf Club, Inc. who chronicled life in the 26th 'Yankee' Division in a comic strip that ran in the Boston Evening American died peacefully at home under Hospice-supervised care on November 29, 2008 after a brief illness. He was attended to by his wife Jane and his children and grandchildren.

He was born in Beverly on June 23, 1918, the son of Adin and Eleanor (Crafts) Thompson. A National Honor Society graduate of Beverly High School, Class of 1936, he went to work for the United Shoe Machinery Corporation in Boston where he attended the Vesper George School of Art at night studying commercial art.

On December 29, 1941 he enlisted into the 26th Infantry Division and did his basic training at Camp Edwards. He rose to tech sergeant in G-2 doing cartography before transferring to the Army Air Corps as a Flying Cadet. During his service in the Yankee Division he penned the Comic Strip "Corporal Felix" which was published in the Boston Evening Record. The comic strip took a humorous look at basic training and life on maneuvers in New Hampshire and the Carolinas at a time when the 26th was responsible for the defense of the east coast from the Carolinas to Maine before the division shipped to Europe.

He was commissioned into the Air Corps receiving his wings on Nov. 10, 1942. After completing Pursuit and Flight Instructor training he was assigned to the 2160Th Airforce Base Unit, Lakeland, Florida where he was a flight instructor and the Operations Officer. At end of the war he was flying B-17's in preparation to become a B-29 pilot.

After the war, he went to work at Sagamore Spring Golf Club in Lynnfield where his father-in-law was a partner. When Sagamore was incorporated in 1954 he became a shareholder and officer. He was the President of Sagamore at the time of his retirement in 1989. His love of golf and affable nature contributed to Sagamore's becoming one of New England's busiest public facilities during the golf boom of the 1960's.

Mr. Thompson was a prolific artist and watercolorist and a member of local art associations as well as the Nantucket Art Association where he summered after retirement. He was also a member of the Copley Society in Boston where he earned the designation Copley Artist. His work has been exhibited at the National Arts Club(NYC) and the Palais de Congres(Paris). His award winning paintings are found in private and corporate collections.

He leaves his wife of 65 years, Jane H. (Strobel), of Lynnfield; a son, William A. Thompson of Lynnfield, and two daughters, Nancy Reid of Reading and Betsy Brown of Lynnfield.

A Service will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Dec. 3 in Center Congregational Church in Lynnfield. Relatives and friends may call at the McDonald-Finnigan Funeral Home 322 Main St, Stoneham from 4-8 p.m., Tue. Dec.2. Donations may be made to the Hospice of choice. Interment at Puritan Lawn Cemetry, Peabody, for family.



Read William Thompson's Obituary and Guestbook on www.mcdonaldfs.com.

Visitation

McDonald-Finnegan Funeral Home
322 Main Street
Stoneham , MA US 02180
Tuesday, December 2, 2008, 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Service

Centre Congregational Church
5 Summer St.
Lynnfield , MA US 01940
Wednesday, December 3, 2008, 10:00 AM

Cemetery

Puritan Lawn Memorial Park
185 Lake Street
Peabody , MA US 01960
Wednesday, December 3, 2008, 11:15 AM