John Herd THOMPSON

JOHN HERD THOMPSON It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of John Herd Thompson on July 13, 2019, seven months after being diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. He was born in Winnipeg in 1946 to Joe and Gladys Thompson. John served as a junior cadet officer in the Chippawa Division of the University Naval Training Division. He earned a bachelor's degree with honours from the University of Winnipeg in 1967, a master's degree a year later from the University of Manitoba and a PhD degree in history from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, in 1975. In a 40-year teaching career, John taught North American history at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, at McGill University in Montreal and Duke University in North Carolina where he retired as a professor emeritus in 2012. John was also a distinguished visiting professor at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. He published numerous academic papers and authored many books on North American history. Starting in 1988, John served 14 years as a historical consultant for the Heritage Minutes series of historical micro-dramas broadcast on Canada's national television networks and screened in Cineplex-Odeon theatres across the country. John was a passionate baseball fan and an avid jazz musician who played saxophone and clarinet. Later in life, he became a snow bird enjoying winters in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Wherever he was, John was known as a good friend and a kind, amiable and considerate intellectual with whom you could always enjoy an engaging conversation over a pint. He is sorely missed. Surviving John are his loving partner and high school sweetheart, Margaret, with whom he reunited after 45 years; children, Anne and Mark; sister, Beth (Bill); nephew, Chris (Gina); niece, Kathryn (Andrew); and the many great-nieces and nephews who will remember him affectionately.