Wyatt Burns Thompson, Jr.

                                                                                            Wyatt Burns Thompson, Jr
                                                                                               AKA Johnny Bombay
                                                                                              AKA Granddaddy/ Dats

Wyatt Thompson, age 81, formerly of Ashby Ponds located in Ashburn, Va, passed away on his beloved wife’s birthday, July 8, 2024. Wyatt was born on January 20, 1943, in Washington D.C.

Wyatt spent much of his childhood living overseas, spending 7 of his childhood years in Hayama, Japan due to his father’s career with the CIA. Once his family relocated back to Virginia, he attended Columbian Prep in Washington, DC. During his college years, he dipped his toes into southern education at The Citadel in Charleston, SC, but discovered that the daily routines were too strenuous, and he just did not care for the taste of grits, therefore decided he no longer wanted to be a cadet!  He then moved to Munich, Germany where he attended The University Of Maryland in Munich, Germany. This is when Wyatt’s true love for broadcast/ journalism grew. There he worked in the campus radio station, and was known by his DJ name, “Johnny Bombay”. The University of Maryland in Munich was also where Wyatt met some of his lifelong friends that remained near and dear to his heart until his passing. They made a point to have a reunion yearly, known as “The Munich Men”.

In 1966, Wyatt moved back to the states, and eventually ended up in North Myrtle Beach, SC. There he managed WTGR radio station, which he grew to be the most listened to station in the area. He contracted big named entertainers to the area with the likes of, The Drifters, Chubby Checkers, Ronnie Dove, and The Temptations...to list a few. He was also appointed to be Chairman of The Sun Fun Festival, which is a huge honor in that area. While living in North Myrtle Beach, he also managed Congressman John Jenrette’s campaign for The U.S. House Of Representatives. They continued their friendship throughout their many seasons of life.

Wyatt moved back to the Washington, DC area in the late 1970’s, where he continued his career in broadcasting as Vice President/ General Manager of WEZR radio in Fairfax, Va, where he ran the incentive travel trips for their corporate stations throughout the US, as well as running their local radio station. In the 1980’s, Wyatt was recruited by Paramount Pictures to be their Vice President for broadcast sales. This career opened up a lot of doors for Wyatt, in which he eventually started his own company, Broadcast Travel Incentives. Wyatt grew the company to have many offices all over the world, from Hong Kong, to Zurich, Switzerland. He guaranteed, and delivered, first class travel to large broadcast companies, with the likes of FOX, ABC, NBC, etc. Some trips would be large enough to secure an entire international flight, or Windstar cruise ship. There wasn't a Ritz Carlton in Europe that didn't know Wyatt by his first name!  His family was awarded the benefits of traveling alongside him, as he passed down his love, passion, and education of travel to his daughters. After the sale of his company, Wyatt retired in Fairfax, Va, where he later combined his deep magnificent voice, with his love of air and space, to become a docent at the National Air and Space Museum in
Washington, DC. His magnetic voice attracted so many tourists to join him, as he conducted tours of the most visited museum in the world for 5 years.

Wyatt enjoyed traveling, reading, history, music, classic movies, fine suits, a thick steak, and a nice cold martini! Wyatt was widely known for his style, as he was always meticulously dressed for the occasion!

Wyatt is survived by his loving wife of 45 years, Margery Thompson; his adoring daughters Margaret Thompson, Shannon Thompson (Patrick Kelly), and Jacqui Le (Anh-Tuan); His twin Sister Donna Heflin; His brother in law Bruce Meyers (Carole); His grandchildren Briggs Badurski (Madison), Katherine Snowden (Sam), Wyatt Le, McKenna Le, Hudson Race, Margaret Race, Reagan Race, and Maxwell Daubenspeck..whom affectionately knew him as “Granddaddy” and “Dats”; His great Grandchildren Banks Cooper, Anna Hampton Snowden, and Beckett Race; His brother in law Robert Reuss; his many nieces and nephews, and his many longtime friends that he cherished.. Wyatt is preceded in death by his parents, Wyatt and Anna Loretta Thompson, and his younger sister Pam Reuss.

A celebration of life will be held on August 23, 2024 from 2:30-4:30 PM at Farmwell Hall in the Ashby Ponds Senior Living Community. Wyatt would request all donations be made to the American Kidney Foundation, Parkinson’s Research, or the benevolent care fund at Ashby Ponds.