Business owner, township planner, friend, and loving husband’Ed Thompson will be missed by his community.
Thompson died June 9, 2015.
He was 76.
Thompson was born June 11, 1938 in Detroit to the late Goodenow and Ruth (nee: Hanning) Thompson. He married the former Arlene Foppes on Oct. 2, 1980 in Troy. He is survived by his loving wife Arlene Thompson; daughter, Andrea Thompson and son, Mike (Theresa) Thompson; granddaughter, Danielle Thompson; two brothers, Art (Sandra) Thompson and Bill (Yvonne) McClure; and sister, Molly Meharg.
Ed was a graduate of Cass Tech High School in Detroit and later earned a master’s degree in business administration from Ferris State University. He retired in 1991 from the Chrysler Corporation, where he designed computers.
‘Ed and I met at Chrysler,? said Arlene, his wife of 34 years. ‘He designed computers and I worked on them.?
Upon his retirement Ed and Arlene purchased the former Featherston Hardware at 30 South St. in Ortonville, renaming it Thompson’s Hardware.
‘He just loved the hardware business and all the people that came in to our store,? said Arlene. ‘Ed would help customers fix what ever they were working on before they had to buy a new one. He was always tinkering with something. Over the years we hired many youth from the community to work at the store. They really became a part of an extended family. Many come back and visit years later. They were never just employees to us, rather strong adults with good values.?
Ed was a private pilot and enjoyed woodworking.
‘We owned two airplanes over the years,? said Arlene. ‘But the hardware store came first and kept us busy, so we just did not have time for them anymore.?
Ed first served for more than 20 years as a member of the Groveland Township Planning Commission and then the Zoning Board of Appeals.
‘He upheld the township ordinances to the letter of the law,? she said. ‘But he was very fair and understood the human aspect of property owners.?
Arlene recalls many camping trips with their children Andrea and Mike.
‘We always traveled to the most remote places in the country,? she said. ‘And we never took the expressways either. Once we drove all the way to Glacier National Park in Montana via two-lane Highway 2.?
A celebration of Ed’s life will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, June 15, 2015 at Coats Village Funeral Home, Ortonville. Family will receive friends on Monday from 1 p.m. until the time of the service. Memorial contributions may be made to Heartland Hospice. Envelopes are available at the funeral home. To send a condolence, go to www.CoatsFuneralHome.com/Obituaries.