Obituary of Ritchie Randolph Thompson

Ritchie Randolph Thompson (aka Tommy, Jack, Mutt, or Trombone) passed away on January 3, 2021 from Covid-19. He was 91 years old and was laid to rest at the Dallas Fort Worth National Cemetery.Tommy lived a long full life and had a rare and remarkable ability to form strong bonds with family and friends. We will miss him. He is survived by his siblings, Kermit Thompson of Nitro, WV and Jo Ann Hammond of Lynchburg, VA, daughters Deborah Kilpatrick, Karla Taddiken, and Kimberly Van Nostran, volunteer son Micheal Paul Barnard, grandson Ryan Kilpatrick, great granddaughters SammyRay Kilpatrick, Heidi Kilpatrick, and Maria Kilpatrick, nephews Ron Thompson, Rick Thompson, Terry Hammond Jr, Steve Thompson, niece Christina Hylton, and great nephew Isaiah Thompson. His extended family also includes Drew Barnard, Sara Alexander, David Estes and his daughters Avyn and Robyn, John Altman, and Kat and Ken Shimamoto.Ritchie was born and raised in Beaver WV. His parents were Henry Dillard Thompson and Grace Lee Henderson Thompson. They met at the Teachers Institute in Beckley WV. He had four brothers and one sister. Ritchie Randolph was named for a local pastor and for the principal of the public school that he eventually attended, respectively. His father called him Jack. He was preceded in death by his parents and three brothers Nathan, Alben, and Ned Thompson. He also grieved the untimely deaths of son David Thompson, nephew Bud Thompson, and grandson Sean Kilpatrick.Tommy arrived in Fort Worth with the US Air Force where is friends called him Trombone. Tommy loved Texas and Fort Worth and made it his home where he enjoyed self employment for the rest of his life. After the military, he had an eclectic civilian career that began by selling encyclopedias with Willie Nelson, owning an air conditioning company, and later also a burger joint. He closed his career by selling women’s coats, clothing, watches and pens from his showroom at Dallas Apparel Mart and all across the country. He worked hard and prospered here in Fort Worth.Tommy was bright and humorous, opinionated, cranky and quirky, but also kind and loving. When he moved to assisted living, he continued to do what he always did. He made friends. The family wishes to thank his newest friends and essential workers at Brookdale Tanglewood and Colonial Gardens for making his final years happy ones.