Neill Stephen Thompson (1930-2017)
THOMPSON, SCHINNEL, FRESCOLN
Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 12/2/2017 at 09:58:32
Obituary From Adams Soderstrum Funeral Home, Story County, Iowa.
Neill Stephen Thompson
June 5, 1930 - November 6, 2017Neill S. Thompson, 87, passed away on Nov. 6, 2017, with his family by his side. Neill, also known as Tommy, grew up in Fort Dodge, Iowa, son of Maurice and Mabel Thompson. Although the last decade of his life was shadowed by Alzheimer’s, it did not define who he was - a man of character, integrity, faith, a loving husband to his wife of 61 years and an amazing father and grandfather.
Neill is survived by his wife Pat (Peterson) Thompson, as well as children Steve and Nancy Thompson, Lynn and Steve Schinnell and Laura Frescoln, ten grandchildren, two great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. He and Patty taught their family what it means to love and be loved, and demonstrated how that can make a difference in this world.
Always an athlete, Neill quarterbacked the Dodgers to a conference title in 1948 and received honors for his punting expertise. He pitched for the high school baseball team and played college ball at ISU until he fielded a line drive to the noggin, ending his career. He later took up tennis, where he dominated the court in a friendly and sportsmanlike manner, both of which were slightly irritating to his opponents who usually lost.
Neill earned a BS in Farm Operation from ISU in 1953 which launched his career as a real estate appraiser and farm manager. After working 13 years for Doane Agricultural Service, he started his own business, Thompson Appraisal Service. He later offered appraisal services through Thompson-Johnston & Associates. The business was acquired by Hertz Farm Management in 1983, where he finished his career. During his professional tenure he taught classes, wrote articles, mentored beginning appraisers, and co-authored an appraisal textbook.
Neill held the accrediting title of M.A.I., the highest designation of the American Institute of Real Estate Appraisers, as well as Accredited Rural Appraiser with the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers. He also served in leadership positions with many professional organizations.
Neill put his quiet faith into action as he served in various leadership roles at St. Andrews Lutheran Church over the years.
He managed his family’s farms, where his heart for conservation was evident in the decisions he made and his philosophy that we are stewards not owners of the land. He and his wife built a cabin, where family and friends gather in the Iowa woodlands that he loved. He and his daughter Laura planted thousands of trees over the years, leaving a legacy for generations to come. (Lynn and Steve have been mowing around the six that survived ever since.)
Neill believed that everyone he met deserved kindness and respect, with no exceptions. That’s how he lived and that is how he wants us all to live.
Services will be held at 11am Friday, Nov. 10, at St. Andrews Lutheran Church in Ames. Visitation will precede the service beginning at 10am. Come celebrate a life well lived!
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be sent to Alzheimer’s Disease Research (22512 Gateway Center Drive, Clarksburg, MD 20871, www.brightfocus.org/ADR), or St. Andrews Lutheran Church (209 Colorado Ave, Ames, IA, 50014).
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