On January 10th, 2023, we lost a great partner. If you're off on an adventure, you'd like Charles (Tom) Thompson at your side, whether you are hiking the base of Mount Rainier, scuba diving Puget Sound, surf casting the Gulf of Mexico, moose hunting in Alaska, or crewing a sailboat in the Pacific Ocean near San Diego. Tom was a good partner for a little league baseball team as their catcher, downhill skiing, trap shooting, upland game hunting with friends and their dogs, or building and paddling a cedar strip canoe. Tom's careers reflect his life view as a partner. Medicine was his first choice, beginning as a Navy Corpsman and surgical assistant aboard the hospital ship, the USS Repose. Later, he worked as an ambulance attendant, and then as an operating room assistant, at Luther Hospital. In his second career Tom applied his UWEC degree in biology as Beaver Creek Reserve's first Naturalist. His knowledge and love of nature spread to all visitors, young and old. Tom's message was "come look, come learn". Visitors learned about owls, frogs, black bears, snakes, wild flowers, and trout streams. Over many years he guided hundreds of people to lace their own snowshoes. Music played a major part of his partnership as a rock and roll band guitarist and later, in Eau Claire, a bass player in a blue grass band. And love that banjo. We'll miss you, partner. Thanks for sharing your skills and talents with us. A celebration of life is planned for early spring.

You are invited to attend Tom Thompson's Celebration of Life.  Join us to share memories of Tom's life... his interests, knowledge, and talents. >>>>> On Friday March 3, 1:00-4:00, the Holiday Inn, off I94, in  Eau Claire will host. >>>>> If you wish to stay at the inn, please make reservations before February 15th for a guaranteed rate of $116. >>>>> The obituary and accompanying photo, as well as a place to share a memory, is available at lenmarkfh.com