Charles William Thompson

Charles William Thompson, 92, died on November 10, 2025, after a short illness. Chuck (Bill) was born on November 20, 1932, to Charles Bryan and Mary (Winchester) Thompson in Anselmo, NE, in the farmhouse where his father worked as a hired hand. He attended elementary school in a one-room schoolhouse until the family moved to Ansley, NE, where, at the age of 12, he started high school. Chuck graduated from Ansley High School at age 16 in 1949 and started working in his dad's service station. In 1952, a friend talked him into going to Lincoln and attending the University of Nebraska. This is where he met his wife, Carol Headrick. In 1954, he joined the Army as a radar technician. He married Carol in September 1956, one week after being discharged from the Army. After a wedding night in Wahoo, NE, on Monday morning, he returned to the University of Nebraska. Helping a sister-in-law with her math courses provided him with so much satisfaction that in 1959, he transferred to Kearney State Teachers College and finished his bachelor's degree. After graduation, he started his teaching career at Minatare, NE, where he missed his first day of teaching because his first son was born in Kearney. He taught at Minatare for 2 ½ years, during which time summers were spent in Greeley, CO, where he completed his master's degree. In 1962, the family moved to Fort Collins, where he taught mathematics at Fort Collins High School, then at Poudre High School when it opened in 1964. He retired from PHS in 1992.

Chuck had many interesting summer jobs if he was not going to school himself for additional graduate education. He worked with the State Game, Fish, and Parks Department at a fish research lake in the mountains, with the Colorado State University Atmospheric Science Department on a site on the top of 12,000-foot Chalk Mountain at Climax, CO, and for several years managing the local community swimming pool. Starting in 1972, he spent most of his summers building and maintaining the family cabin in the mountains near Kremmling, CO.

Chuck was a member of the NEA, CEA, PEA (President), and PRSEA (President). He served on several committees, including the Chairman of the CEA Professional Rights and Responsibilities committee. Chuck was honored to be one of four finalists in 1975 for the Colorado Teacher of the Year.

Chuck and Carol spent their retirement travelling the world and having their three children and their families join them for special trips. Locally, Chuck spent many years volunteering as a Travel Counselor at the Colorado Welcome Center, welcoming visitors to our state.

He is survived by his wife Carol of 69 years, his sons David (Carla) Thompson of Las Cruces, NM; Christopher (Lisa) Thompson of Greeley, CO; and daughter Sonya (Greg) Miller of Sandy, UT; two grandchildren Kevin (Lauren) Thompson of Tucson, AZ and Mattison Sperry of Ault, CO and six great grandchildren; two brothers, Roger (Susann) Thompson of Kansas City, MO, and Dana (Sheri) Thompson of Aurora, NE and two sisters – Frances (Steve) Linegar of Lexington, NE and Kimberly Schulte of Ansley, NE.

He was preceded in death by his parents, siblings Russell Thompson, Mary Jane Mitera, and Barbara Abel, brother-in-law Ed Schulte, and granddaughter Lauren Gail Thompson.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Poudre School District Foundation, PO Box 270338, Fort Collins, CO 80527 (memo line: PRSEA Scholarship in memory of Chuck Thompson)

A funeral service will be held in Fort Collins on Friday, December 5th, 11:00 am, at Bohlender Funeral Chapel (121 W Olive St) with burial at Grandview Cemetery.