John Sterling Thompson Jr.

John was born September 5, 1945, in St. Bonifacius, Minnesota, where his father was stationed as an early pilot for Northwest Airlines. Six years later, they moved to Washington State, where John grew up enjoying an idyllic lake life on Lake Meridian in Kent.

John attended Seattle Pacific University before transferring to Washington State University, where he pledged Phi Beta Kappa.

He joined his father at Northwest Airlines (NWA), earning his place on the seniority list in October 1966 as one of the youngest pilots hired by the airline.

During the Vietnam War, John flew Military Air Command (MAC) missions aboard Boeing 320 aircraft. Throughout his career, he captained Boeing 727, DC-10, and Boeing 747 aircraft. He retired in 2005 as a captain of NWA's 747-400, having also flown MAC flights during the Gulf War.

John met his loving wife, Suzanne, during his first year of flying. They married in 1972 and shared 57 years of love and raised three daughters.

John is survived by his wife Suzanne; daughters Sari Jansen, Shelly Tansy, and Sydney Thompson; their husbands Jeremy Jansen, Joe Tansy, and David Applegate; and his four grandchildren, Sterling and Seryn Croswhite, and John and William Jansen. He is also survived by lifelong friends Tom Bantle, Len Evans, and Roy Newton-fellow adventurers whose bond spanned decades of memories and meaning.

John was an avid hunter, golfer, water skier, and a formidable cribbage and poker player. To his daughters and their friends, he was "MacGyver," always ready to fix, build, or figure things out. He loved sharing his knowledge and was always willing to learn alongside others. He was patient, encouraging, and endlessly generous with his time. Most of all, he loved flying-a passion he passed on with joy and pride.

A quiet man, John will be remembered for his kind deeds, steady presence, and thoughtful support. He helped many through difficult times, offering encouragement and practical help-always selflessly and without fanfare. He formed genuine, personal connections, and those close to him knew how deeply he cared, just as he knew how much he was loved in return. Rarely one to speak ill of others, he led by example with humility and strength.

John passed away peacefully, surrounded by love, after a long and valiant battle with cancer. He faced twenty-five years of treatments, procedures, and surgeries without complaint. Even amid his own challenges, he remained a source of comfort and strength for others navigating their own battles with the disease.

John loved God, his family, and his country. He thanked God daily for the wonderful life he lived amongst family and friends. He will be deeply missed by many.

His family invites those who knew him to celebrate his life as he lived it-genuinely and in their own meaningful way, whether through a story, a smile, or doing something once shared together.