Steve Thompson

I used to call my friend Stevirino. Not sure why. It seemed to fit that silly man I was blessed to meet and work with in the outdoors. Steve and I played a silly game where we would hear a flock of waterfowl and guess how many and then quickly count them. The winner got a Snicker Bar at the Frenchglen Store. He ate a lot of Snickers that year. I live with Honkers and when they fly over every night I think of Steve and I do the blind count. If I get it right I go get a Snickers at my...

Whenever I see a Bald Eagle I think of Steve. We went out one day looking for a Bald Eagle Roost in Eastern Oregon. To our surprise we saw a small roost up a canyon with old growth trees. One of the eagles had a wing marker and we checked on it and it was from Glacier National Park. Every night at my home in Northern California the honkers go over and call. I play our old game I can count them without looking. We would give a number and we traded correct answers many times. I still...

It is hard to believe it has been nearly two years since the world lost such a caring, sharing, kind individual. I still miss Steve, and his humor and laugh, to this day. I will always remember Steve's love for the environment and the special bond Steve built with everyone around him. Renee, Jena, Maya: Steve always shared his deep love for you with those he knew. My thoughts and prayers continue to be with you.

I remember giving a presentation at the Raptor Research meeting held in Sacramento. I stayed with Steve's parents and they had a pool in the back. Steve was a world class swimmer and I am a world class sinker. He put me through some training for water polo. I needed to tread water holding a brick on my head. As I sank and kept talking under water and surfacing occasionally I remember Steve's big laugh. I miss our laughs in the field. We always found humor in our Malheur adventures. I...

Steve Thompson swam regularly with us 2000 2008, after that he could be found at Broadstone. Steve was an outstanding open water swimmer and influenced many of us to get out to the races. My first open water race was at Folsom Lake with Steve, I was so impressed that he was doing the one mile race as a warm up, first, then the two mile as his race.

Steve took me to Donner next. As I looked ACROSS the lake I said to him that doesn't look that far he then pointed the length of...

We were saddened to learn the news of the passing of our good friend and professional associate Steve Thompson earlier this month. Both of us are chagrined for not being able to make the trip to Loomis for the November 13 celebration of his life planned by his family. Steve was someone we both had enormous respect for, as we both worked with him on Klamath Basin issues while he was the regional director for the California/Nevada Operations Office in Sacramento.

We are past executive...

We all mourn the loss of a true conservation champion, but even more so, the loss of a sincere and loving husband, father, grandfather, and friend! Steve's legacy will live on, and that is a very very good thing! Thank you Steve, for all that you taught and inspired!

Fond farewell to an exceptional human being, committed conservationist and steadfast friend. Steve's conservation legacy is all around us, and will never be forgotten.

I met Steve, in 1990. I was working on Capitol Hill, in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was in the Service's old Upper Level Management Training Program. When I was Refuge System Chief, he worked for me,and helped us pass and implement the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act. I didn't know a lot about managing refuges and Steve was always generous with his expertise, and tolerant of my inexperience. He was simply a good and decent person. And a very good friend. I remember...