After a long fight, John Reed Thompson, 81, lost his battle with lung and heart disease on Jan. 11 in Solana Beach, Ca. He passed away peacefully at his home with his family by his side.
John Thompson passed away on Jan. 11. A memorial service will be held on Feb. 18.
He leaves behind Solange, his beloved French wife of 50 years, his loving children, son Philip and daughter Cline, granddaughters Alexandra and Marissa, grandson Ethan, and older brother Bill. Reed also leaves daughter-in-law Anne Thompson, and fianc-in-law Will Miele.
In addition, Reed leaves behind a crowd of close friends reaching from the East coast and across the country. Simply stated, Reed loved people and people loved Reed.
Born Sept. 24, 1936, Reed grew up in Darien and went to Holderness School in New Hampshire. At Colby College in Waterville, Maine, Reed played varsity tennis.
Graduating from the Navy’s Officer Candidate School in 1959, Reed spent four years as an air intelligence officer and a navigator in a P2V Neptune patrol squadron. He was in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, when Russia was retrieving its missiles.
After the Navy, Reed spent two years at Vanderbilt University earning a Master’s degree in International Relations.
After two years as an international banker in New York and San Salvador, Reed moved on to Wall Street and began a 50-year career in securities, research and sales. His career was spent in La Jolla where he was well known and respected.
He always considered moving West in 1969 to be one of his best decisions, and he lived in Solana Beach and worked in La Jolla until the end of his life. He enjoyed traveling, horse races at Del Mar, reading, helping others and attending his children’s and grandchildren’s sporting events.
A celebration of his life will be held on Sunday, Feb. 18. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to the Rancho Coastal Humane Society.