CHARLES H. THOMPSON JR.

Mr. Charles H. Thompson Jr., 88, of Ft. Myers, Florida, formerly of the Quincy/Payson area, died at Thuusday (June 16, 2005) in Ft. Myers.

Born June 27, 1916 in Payson, Charlie was the son of Charles Harrison and Cynthia Nesbitt Thompson. He married M. Jeanne Peterson on June 20, 1940 in Payson, She died June 17, 1987. He later married Mary Louise Kaiser Hall on October 6, 1988 in Monticello, Missouri. She survives.

Mr. Thompson attended the Calvary Weslyan Church in Cape Coral, FL. He was a graduate of Knox College in Galesburg, IL. He was a 40 year member of the Payson Masonic Lodge #379, a member of the Quincy American Legion Post #37 and a member of the National Rifle Association. Mr. Thompson served his country in the U.S. Air Force during WWII. He was shot down in Germany on October 10, 1943 and was a P.O.W. until being liberated May 11, 1945. He was awarded the Purple Heart.

Charles began his career in the real estate and land appraisal business in the midwest. In 1964 he began Thompson Blacktopping and then in 1970 he founded Thompson Builders, a general contracting company in Quincy. He retired in 1980 and moved to Florida.

Also surviving is one daughter, Lucinda Otte and her husband Larry of Chattanooga, TN.; two sons, David N. Thompson and his wife Sue Ann of Cape Coral, FL. and Bruce Thompson & Fredericka Willis of Pensacola, FL.; one step daughter, Christin Struble of St. Louis, MO.; eight grandchildren, Jason Thompson, Dianna Pallas and her husband Preston, Brian Thompson, Betty Jeanne Stearns and her husbnad Dallas, all of Pensacola, FL., Jodi Clarke and her husband David, Tiffini Jamison and her husband Dale of Cape Coral, FL., and Zachery Otte and Emily Jeanne Otte of Chattanooga, TN.; three great grandchildren, Charles Thompson, Delaney Jeanne Pallas and Connor Clarke; two step great grandchildren, Dallas Stearns Jr. and Rachel Stearns of Pensacola, FL.; and one brother, Robert S. Thompson of North Fort Myers, FL.

Mr. Thompson was preceded in death by his parents and his first wife, Jeanne Peterson Thompson.

Funeral services will be held Friday (July 1, 2005) at the Zehender Robinson Stormer Cookson Funeral Home in Payson with Larry Otte officiating. Burial with Military Honors by Payson V.F.W. Post 2061 will be in Payson New Cemetery.

Visitation will be held Friday morning from 9:30 until the time of services at the funeral home in Payson.

Memorials may be made to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.