David N. Thompson

David Neal Thompson passed away peacefully on July 5, 2009, after an admirable battle with cancer.

David was born October 4, 1956, in Pasadena, Texas, to Warren and Betty Jo Thompson. He was the oldest of five children. With his father serving a full career in the Air Force, David experienced frequent family moves while growing up. He readily adapted to the life of a military family and made many friends.

He had a natural talent for sports activities and took a liking to track and field events. When he was in junior high school, David learned how to pole vault, quickly excelling in what is considered by many to be the most challenging event of track and field. As he honed his pole vaulting skills throughout junior high and high school, he proved to be a tough competitor among his peers.

In 1974, he graduated from high school in Beavercreek, Ohio. His success in the pole vault earned him a full ride athletic scholarship to Marshall University, where he consistently placed in many competitive events and achieved a personal best of 15'6".

Upon graduating from Marshall in 1979, with a Bachelor of Science in Zoology, David moved to Idaho Falls in 1979, where he would start and raise his family. For the next 30 years, David supported vital Department of Energy projects located at what is commonly known by fellow workers as "The Site." There he performed critical analysis and testing to ensure that systems were operating safely and properly. In that span of three decades, David made many friends and instilled cohesion and a sense of pride among his co-workers.

In 1979, David married Doris Sheets. They had two children, Adam and Lauren. In 1985, he married Alicia Anderson, and they had a daughter, Samantha. In 1997, he married his wife, Koni, and they had a daughter, Brianna.

David was an avid golfer and a dedicated bowler. He had a hole-in-one at the Sand Creek golf course and bowled four perfect 300 games. Not one to let his skills go to waste, David took it upon himself to teach his family the fun and joy of hitting a small ball into a small cup and rolling a big ball into a wall of pins. His efforts paid off with his family participating in weekend golf outings, becoming fellow members of his local bowling association and even earning special awards for their efforts.

David is survived by his wife, Koni; and his four children, Adam (Berea Williams) of Phoenix, Ariz., Lauren (Jeff Caudle) of Idaho Falls, Samantha of Tallahassee, Fla., and Brianna of Idaho Falls,; his mother, Betty Jo Thompson of Portland, Ore.; his sisters, Karen Wilson of Federal Way, Wash., Sandy Grandell of Idaho Falls and Cindy Thompson of Portland, Ore.; and his brother, Robert Thompson of Stafford, Va. He was preceded in death by his father, Warren.

Memorial services will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 9, 2009, at Buck-Miller-Hann, 825 E. 17th St. in Idaho Falls. Visitation for family and friends will be for one hour prior to the services at the funeral home. The family wishes you to join them at Bowl-ero Lanes immediately after the service to celebrate David's life. In lieu of flowers, please schedule yourself for a colon screening. Online condolences for the family may be left at www.buckmillerhann.com.

Family Tribute