Alfred Thompson

Alfred (Al) Thompson, 79, of Phoenix, AZ, long time Valley resident and Roller Rink entrepreneur, passed away on Sunday, April 23, 2006. He was born in Chicago, IL on October 29, 1926 and moved to the Valley in 1957. He served two years in U.S. Army Military Police Corps during World War II and spent his early years as both an accomplished national and international roller skating and ballroom dancing champion. He owned and operated several roller skating rinks throughout the Valley and was a Master Instructor, earning a place in the U.S National Roller Skating Hall of Fame in Lincoln, NE for having trained nearly a dozen National Champions. Al was affectionately known as "Mr. T" to his friends and his students throughout the years. He was a member of SRSTA and RSROA. He is survived by his wife, Karen, of 49 years; his daughter Sandi Cox (and son-in-law, Timothy) of Sterling, IL; a grandson, Sean, and three great-grandchildren; three sisters, Violet Doskocil of Mesa, AZ, Gloria Siegel of Glendale, AZ and Pearl Holle of Largo, FL, and two brothers, Herbert Thompson of Berkley, IL and Lloyd Thompson of Hemet, CA. Visitation is scheduled for Thursday evening April 27th from 6 PM to 8 PM at Green Acres Funeral Home, 401 N. Hayden Rd., Scottsdale. Services will be held at the Green Acres Chapel at 9:30 AM on Friday. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to Hospice of the Valley or the American Cancer Society.