JOHN V. THOMPSON

1921 - 2017

1921 - 2017 John Vincil Thompson, 96, of Kansas City, died May 22, 2017, in Lenexa, KS. John was born May 17, 1921, in Moberly, MO. He was the son of John Waller Thompson and Ruby Ridgway Thompson. John graduated from Moberly Junior College in 1940 and from the University of Missouri- Columbia in 1942 with a bachelor of journalism, majoring in advertising. After graduating from MU, John entered the U.S. Army Air Corps and trained as a B-17 navigator. He was assigned to the 94th Heavy Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, based in Bury St. Edmunds, England. On April 18, 1944, on his 12th mission, John's B-17 Flying Fortress was shot down over Berlin. John became a prisoner of war and over the next year was held at three prison camps: Stalag Luft III near Sagan, Stalag XIII-D in Nuremberg and finally Stalag VII-A in Moosburg. General George S. Patton's Third Army liberated the Moosburg camp on April 29, 1945. John returned home a lieutenant and later became a captain in the Air Force Reserve. After the war John worked in advertising for printing company Maneke Hausher in Tulsa, OK. He moved to Kansas City in 1947 to work in the advertising department of Sears, Roebuck and then at Bruce Brewer Advertising. In 1949, John joined Burstein-Applebee, Kansas City's longtime retail and catalog electronics chain, where he designed B-A's iconic company logo. He was vice president for advertising when he left the company in 1966. John became co-owner of the Shamrock Motel in Chillicothe, MO, later opening the popular Shamrock Lounge. He retired in 1987 and returned to Kansas City. John married Janet Swan of Moberly in 1946 and together they raised two daughters. Janet died in 1974. He was married to Kathryn DeGan Thompson from 1977 to 1997. John also was preceded in death by his sister, Virginia Marshall of Jefferson City, and nephew, Ron Frazier of New York. Survivors include his daughters, Jan Thompson of Columbia and Tammie Barker (Jesse) of Kansas City; five grandchildren, Erin Niles (Mark) of Columbia, Emily Clark of Columbia, Grant Franklin (Andrea) of Shawnee, Lauren Franklin of St. Louis and Will Barker of Denver; six great- grandchildren, Taylor Kirby, Paige Niles, Amani Poindexter, Cora Franklin, Colin Franklin and Nia Coachman; and his great- nephew, Chris Frazier of Nashville. The family thanks Jack Mooney of Kansas City and John's brother-in-law and sister-in-law Dan and Kaye Collins of Lee's Summit, all longtime and steadfast friends, as well as the professional, kind and loving staff of Delmar Gardens in Lenexa. A graveside service will be at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 30, at Memorial Park Cemetery, 101 W. Wightman St., Moberly, MO. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to the American Red Cross, which John credited with saving his life during World War II. Mail to American Red Cross, 211 W. Armour Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64111. cremationcenterkc.com