Jacqueline Thompson

Jacqueline Thompson

Surrounded by good friends, Jacqueline Hale Thompson, age 93, passed away peacefully on September 6, 2019 in San Francisco. Jackie was known for her insightful wit, generous outlook, ability to make strangers feel comfortable and empathy for liberal causes. She was simply fun to be with.
Born in Oakland, California, to Henry Allen and Helen Hale Thompson in August 1926, Jackie grew up in Piedmont and Lodi and graduated from high school at the Dominican Convent in San Rafael. Over the next two years, Jackie worked at an agricultural employment agency, a steamship company and a ski resort, followed by two years in Heidelberg, Germany, working in the Civil Affairs Division at the U.S. Army Headquarters Europe. Returning to California, she embarked on a 50-year career in the hotel industry. She started at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco for her first 25 years, working her way up from secretary to credit manager to associate controller.
Over the next several decades she took management positions with the Fairmont Hotel in Philadelphia, the Hotel Meridian in both Boston and Newport Beach, the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas and the Grand Champions Resort in Indian Wells. In Santa Fe she accepted the position of General Manager for the St. Francis Hotel and subsequently at the Inn at Del Mar. Ultimately, in 1990, she returned to San Francisco where she managed the Laurel Inn for over a decade before retiring. A trailblazer of sorts, Jackie's 50+ year career was hardly typical for women of her generation. Even upon retirement, she continued to work part-time for the Thomas Moser furniture store on Sacramento Street. At age 93, she was the oldest employee on their books.
Jackie traveled the world over and was fearless about going places and meeting people. She enjoyed a wide circle of friends, was an avid skier and was famous for her series of blue Volkswagen Beetles that she drove around the country and loaned to everyone. Jackie will be missed by all who knew her. She never married or had children of her own. She is survived by her nephews and nieces Allen Estes (Peggy), Mark Estes (Elizabeth), Elizabeth Campbell (Geoffrey), and Catherine Lasswell (James). Jackie specifically requested no memorial service. There will be a celebration of her and her unique life by family and friends at a future date.