John K. Thomson

1944 - 2023

John K. Thomson
Born: June 30, 1944 in Princeton, IL
Died: March 22, 2023 in Rockford, IL
John K. Thomson of Ohio, Illinois passed away at OSF St. Anthony's Hospital on Wednesday, March 22, 2023 after a long illness that he faced with great dignity, strength, and grace. To the delight and amazement of his family, John managed a wry sense of humor and quick wit until his final day. Born in Princeton, Illinois, on June 30, 1944, to John Howard and Lucille Ethel Thomson, John was the brother of Shirley Anne Olin, all of whom preceded him in death.
John attended Princeton High School and enlisted in the United States Navy on July 28, 1962 and served his country bravely aboard the USS Independence aircraft carrier. In the fall of 1962, the Independence and her sailors participated in the United States naval blockade of Cuba in what is known as the "Cuban Missile Crisis," a major confrontation between the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) over Soviet-supplied missile installations in Cuba, regarded by many as the world's closest approach to total nuclear war. He later served with the Independence in the South China Sea during the Vietnam War. The Independence and her embarked Air Wing 7 received the award of the Navy Unit Commendation for exceptionally meritorious service from June 5 to November 21, 1965. They participated in the first major series of coordinated strikes against vital enemy supply lines north of the Hanoi-Haiphong complex, their aircraft successfully evading the first massive surface-to-air missile barrage in aviation history while hitting assigned targets, and executing, with daring and precision, the first successful attack on an enemy surface-to-air missile installation. The carrier launched more than 7,000 sorties in sustaining an exceptional pace of day and night strike operations against military and logistic supply facilities in North Vietnam. John took great pride in being a Navy sailor and in his wartime service to our country.
After his honorable discharge from the Navy in August 1966 John returned to Princeton and, using the skills he gained aboard the Independence, began his career as a boiler house operator for the Specialty Resins Group division of the PolyOne Corporation, for which he was until his retirement a valuable and dedicated employee of nearly 40 years.
John married Carol Ann Walsh on May 7, 1966; together they had three children: Paula Lough (Ken), Michael Thomson (Rachael), and James Thomson who preceded him in death. John was the proud grandfather of Trevor Thomson (Savannah), Lauren Thomson, Ellie Thomson, Nicholas Lough, Matthew Thomson, Nathan Lough, and William Thomson. John was also the father-in-law to Anne Thomson and uncle to Linda Pierce (Fred Hoffman) and Vickie Townsend (Richard).
John married Sandra Hoover on September 11, 1987. Sandy preceded him in death on April 4, 2021. Together they enjoyed traveling, home improvement projects, their home in Fort Myers, Florida, spending time with their many children and grandchildren, and the company of their pets. John and Sandy loved and especially enjoyed their time in Fort Myers with Sandy's sister and brother-in-law Marie and Ray Brausam. Through his marriage to Sandy, John was fortunate to have three stepchildren, Dawn Hoban (Chris), Keith Hannich (Luann), and Michelle Schwindlein; and three step grandchildren, Mitchell Mares, Matthew Schwindlein, and Eric Mares who preceded him in death.
John was a railroad enthusiast. His father worked for many years for the Chicago, Burlington, and Quincy Railroad as a telegraph operator, and his grandfather, Abraham Lincoln Thomson, also worked as a railroad telegraph operator and was awarded a Tiffany & Company gold watch from the St. Paul and Duluth Railroad for heroic action taken to save hundreds of lives during a tragic brush fire south of Hinckley, Minnesota, on September 1, 1894. John was an avid reader, student of politics and current affairs, and a man of many hobbies, including chemistry and the hard sciences, beer and wine making, ham radio, biking, and gardening. He was a quiet soul and, in the truest sense, a man of his word who was blessed with a gentle touch.
His children and grandchildren loved and respected him very much and will miss his presence in their lives. The honorable life he led will serve as a beacon for his family and for the generations that follow him.
A visitation will be held Friday, March 31 at 4:00 p.m., Fiocchi-Jensen Funeral Home in Princeton, Illinois. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated Saturday April 1, 1:00 p.m. at St Louis Catholic Church. In lieu of flowers the family requests contributions to the American Parkinson Disease Association.