Charles Edgar Thompson, Jr.

Charles Edgar Thompson, Jr. was born to Charles E. and Eloise Goode Thompson on February 13, 1952 at West Texas Hospital in Lubbock, Texas. He was quickly nicknamed, Rusty, by his dad who had nicknames for all of his children and grand-children. Rusty had three older sisters-Martha, Sammye, and Lynda. He attended A.C. Jackson Elementary and Lou Stubbs Elementary Schools. Junior High years were spent at Smylie Wilson. He proudly graduated from Lubbock's Coronado Senior High School in 1970. He participated in student council, Junior Classical League, Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, loved to swim and water ski, played baseball and tennis, and loved to run. He played percussion in his junior high and high school band and orchestra as well as in his university band. As a young person, he was an active member at St. Luke's Methodist Church and would always tell you that he was an old Methodist, a West Texan, a conservative, and a Republican. Education was important to Charles. He earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Education degrees from Texas Tech with 30 graduate hours toward his doctorate. He earned graduate hours credit from Texas Tech, UT Austin, Wayland Baptist, Lubbock Christian, Tarleton State, and Texas A & M. He earned teaching certificates in history, political science, special education, and completed training in the teaching of writing, the gifted and talented, economics, the free enterprise system, and dyslexia reading. He also warned principal and superintendent certifications. He was hired to teach World and American History, U.S. Government, and economics at Petersburg High School in 1977 and in 1981 became junior high principal and assistant high school principal for two years followed by 18 years as elementary principal. While serving as Petersburg Elementary Principal, he continued to have teaching assignments in U.S. Government and economics, and was assigned to teach a variety of classes through the years, including elementary gifted talented, elementary P.E., 7th grad Band, JH track, and JH tennis. He loved to share stories with his students about his family and friends. His students knew that if they could get him to telling stories-many times more than once-that school work would wait until the next day, or sometimes as homework, At Petersburg, he served as class sponsor, directed class plays, sponsored the Junior Historians, directed the UIL District Elementary and Junior High Literary contest for 15 years, his students winning district eleven times, and drove a school bus for 21 years. He was the coordinator for the federal and special education programs and computer assisted education offered on his campuses. He served as an advisor to the Texas State Textbook Adoption committees for U.S. Government and Economics; and as a member of the Texas Education Agency regional curriculum committee for social studies, PK-12. In 2001, Slaton hired him to be principal at Cathelene Thomas Elementary. His schools earned seven Recognized and eight Exemplary Awards for outstanding academic achievement from the Texas Education Agency. He held memberships in Phi Delta Kappa, the National Association of Elementary Principals, the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisor Association, and the Association of Texas Professional Educators. He retired from the profession that he loved in 2013 after 36 years. He loved to read, listen to all kinds of music, research family genealogy, and work in his yard. He enjoyed old hymns, marching bands, classical music, and science fiction, especially the continuing stories of Star Trek and Star Wars. He enjoyed TV reruns of westerns and sitcoms. He followed the football programs at Baylor, UT Austin and Texas Tech. He read historical novels and watched historical movies adapted for television. Favorite authors included: Robert Heinlein, James Michener, Ernest Hemingway, James Crichton, Stephen King, William Faulkner and John Steinbeck. He would get so excited when he would run into former students or colleagues. Charles Passed from this life on September 6, 2022. He wanted his wife, Patricia, and his children, Justin, Dustin, and Erin, to be reminded on this occasion that he loved each of you so much and wanted only the best for each of you. He was proud of the activities you participated in and the college degrees, accomplishments, and training that each of you have worked so hard for and for the good decent human beings that you are. He hopefully wished that each of you forgave him for his shortcomings as a husband and a father and as a human being, and remember him as loving each of you so very much. Grandchildren that were special to him are: Kingsley, Haley, Jeremiah, Oliver, and Eleanor. His nieces and nephews, Angie, Joy, Bill, Eddie, Terri, and Sean were more like siblings and they and their children were very dear to him. Each of you were the lights of his life! His family will receive friends from 6:00-8:00 p.m., Thursday, September 8, 2022 at Sanders Funeral Home. Funeral service will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, September 9, 2022 at Sanders Memorial Chapel. Burial will follow at the City of Lubbock Cemetery.

Charles Edgar Thompson, Jr.

February 13, 1952 - September 6, 2022