| David A. Thompson, KSN and known as "Coach T" was 73 |
David A. Thompson, a highly respected educator and leader in the field of independent school athletics, of Lake Norman and previously of Charlotte, died on Sunday, April 15, 2012. Mr. Thompson, fondly known as 'Coach T,' was 73 years of age.
A native of Durham, North Carolina, Mr. Thompson graduated from Durham High School in 1956, and was offered track scholarships to Duke University and East Carolina University. He selected ECU. He was a member of the Kappa Sigma Nu Colony that was to become the Eta Beta Chapter of Sigma Nu. He attended ECU from 1956 to 1959 - at which time he decided to enter the U.S. Navy.
Following Navy service, he returned to ECU to complete his coursework and graduated in 1963. Mr. Thompson then moved to Charlotte, where he began his career as a teacher, coach, and athletic director with the Albemarle Road Junior High School.
In 1970, with the founding of Charlotte Latin School, Mr. Thompson
accepted a position as the school’s first athletic director. In that role and for fifteen years, he led the development of the school's athletic and physical education programs. Mr. Thompson also served as head coach of the school's varsity boy’s basketball team for 10 seasons without a losing record, as well as coaching other activities including pole vaulting. Additionally during that time, he served as the Co-Founder and first President of the Charlotte Independent Schools Athletic Association.
From 1978 to 1985, Mr. Thompson served as the second President of the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association. During his tenure and direction, the NCISAA developed its statement of core values and set of regulations to govern an increasing membership of independent schools across the State. In recognition for his leadership during this critical formative period, the association elected Mr. Thompson to its first class of the Hall of Fame in 2010.
In 1985, Mr. Thompson left school athletics to pursue a career in
insurance with Jefferson Pilot Financial. He later founded Thompson and Associates Insurance Agency, and he remained an insurance agent until his retirement in 2006. Mr. Thompson also took an active interest in local civic matters, and he ran in 1988 for a seat on the Charlotte City Council.
Mr. Thompson is survived by his wife, Rhetta Blakeney Thompson, sons Michael Anthony Thompson (Becky) and David Christian Thompson (Lisa), daughter Rene' Thompson Leaver (Mark), stepsons Robert Blakeney Meyer (Elizabeth) and Michael McCauley Meyer (Ellen), and grandchildren Austin and Carter Thompson, Sarah Milton, Eliza and Samantha Leaver, and Robert and Charley Meyer.
Funeral services will be conducted at Christ Episcopal Church in
Charlotte, NC, at 4:00 p.m. Saturday, April 21, with the Reverend
Verdery Kerr in charge.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Outreach Fund at Christ Episcopal Church, 1412 Providence Road, Charlotte, NC 28207. Raymer-Kepner Funeral Home & Cremation Service Huntersville, NC is assisting the family. Friends may offer condolences to the family at www.raymerfh.com. Published in Charlotte Observer on April 19, 2012.
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