William Raymond Thompson

William Raymond "Bill" Thompson died on Monday, May 18, 2015, at the Beehive Homes in Mesquite, Nevada. Bill was born in Des Moines, on September 30, 1935, to Raymond and Harriet Thompson.

Bill grew up in Des Moines, graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1953, and Drake University in 1957. He married Mary Jane (Neal), also of Des Moines, in December 1957. Bill was an avid golfer, playing on the Roosevelt High School and Drake golf teams. He coached the Drake golf team from 1967-71. In September 1971, Bill and his family moved to southern California where he continued to work for Drake as an off-campus recruiter. In southern California, Bill also served for eight years on the school board of the Capistrano Unified School District and owned an executive employment placement business for fifteen years. In 1998, Bill and Mary Jane moved back to Iowa (Lake Panorama) to retire after selling their business. From 2001 to 2008, Bill came out of retirement to work for the Drake Athletic Department as the Director of Corporate Relations. He and his wife moved to Mesquite, Nevada in June 2008. In Mesquite, Bill wrote articles for the magazine, "View on Mesquite," and served on the board of the Mesquite Salvation Army, chairing the Red Kettle drive in 2008.

Bill is survived by his wife, Mary Jane; three children, Denny (Sandra) Thompson of Mesquite, Nevada, Kelley (Bob) Heron of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Mike Thompson of Des Moines; his brother, Ray Thompson of Derry, New Hampshire; and eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Services and burial will be in Des Moines, Iowa. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Mesquite Salvation Army. The family invites you to leave a message or memory in their "Guest Book".