- Date Of Birth: May 29, 1922
- Date Of Death: November 22, 2018
- State: Idaho
Charles Kay Thompson passed away peacefully on Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 2018 with members of his extended family at his bedside. He was born in Seattle, Washington on May 29, 1922 to Charles S. and Lyda B. Thompson. He was raised in Cedar Falls, Washington where his father was an engineer at the power plant that supplied the city of Seattle. He attended public schools in Cedar Falls and North Bend, and graduated from Washington State University where he majored in soils science. While a student at WSU, he became interested in flying, earned his wings, and entered into the U.S. Navy. As a Navy Lieutenant during World War II, he taught and trained many pilots in open aircraft (Stearman). This took him to bases in South Dakota, California, Texas and Washington, D.C. He received the Navy’s Letter of Commendation in 1945.
Upon returning to civilian life, he entered the business world, representing the Prudential Insurance Co., and chose Idaho Falls, Idaho, for his home, drawn, in part, by the many opportunities for the outdoor life of skiing, camping, fly fishing, hiking and golfing. He met and married Lee Roussin, who had recently relocated to Idaho Falls from Colorado to help set up the new Atomic Energy Commission office. They both loved calling Idaho Falls “home,” and raised their six children there.
