James Randall Thompson

The world has truly lost a rare and gentle soul. James Randall Thompson died on November 22, 2025, in Ames, Iowa at age 76 after an incredibly brave 4.5 year battle with cancer. Few people can say they were admired by everyone they met, but he was.
Jim was the oldest son of Randall and Mary Jane Thompson of Huxley, Iowa. He had 3 brothers: Chuck (Sybil), Steve (Brenda), and Phil (Zenaida). He had many hilarious stories of life on the dairy farm with the characters his dad would hire for help.
Jim attended Iowa State University, majoring in Dairy Science. He received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in 1974, and worked in a mixed animal practice in West Concord, Minnesota. He returned to join the faculty of the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1976, and attained an additional Master's degree in Veterinary Clinical Sciences. He was then retained as faculty in Food Animal Medicine and Surgery until his retirement in 2015. He was known for his infinite patience.
Due to student error, a large, horned MAD rodeo bull once got out of the building and decided to head to Ames. When told, his response was, "Hummm, probably shouldn't have done that!"
He was married for 43 years to his first and only girlfriend, Linda Shaw Thompson. They had two amazing children: Lindsay Maltas (Detlef), and Nicholas (Jamie) Thompson. Jim was so proud them for not only their career paths in medicine, but as honorable and caring people as well as spouses and parents. They were the great joys of his life, and they are the people they are because of him. Jim and Linda also were blessed with three adored grandchildren: Bennett and Edison Maltas, and Lena Thompson. Jim loved to attend any events the grandkids were involved in, and truly cherished his interactions with them.
Jim and Linda loved to travel, both domestically and internationally, and often took "the path less traveled." They would rent a car and head off, staying in some interesting places. He even consented to some unforgettable bike trips with friends in spite of his legendary lack of biking skills! He also enjoyed fishing, camping, and nearly anything involving being outdoors. He was a solid supporter of Linda's athletic endeavors, and was often known to say "Looking good, Honey" at mile 24 of a marathon she was in (clearly NOT true)!
A friend described Jim with these three adjectives: Noble, steady, and kind. He was indeed all those, and many more. To say Jim will be missed is a giant understatement. He was the anchor to our family, and Linda's lifelong best friend. He was all that is good in the world. The best we can do is to emulate his character and try to live a life as rich and full as he lived.
Jim made it known that he did not want formal funeral services. The family will have an informal "Celebration of Life" outdoor picnic/gathering for anyone to attend in a local park in the springtime. We can all gather to tell stories and celebrate this incredible human being.