Robert Neil Thompson

Robert Neil Thompson was born on September 5, 1935 in Fort Worth, Texas to Orrin A. and Claudia Thompson. He played basketball for Polytechnic High School where his team won the Texas State Championship in 1953. This earned Bob a basketball scholarship to Lamar University in Beaumont where he served as the captain of the basketball team, graduating with a Bachelor in Science degree in Geology.

Upon graduation, Bob worked for Texaco and moved to Shreveport in 1963 when he earned a promotion as the youngest district geologist at the time. In 1965, Bob struck out on his own and enjoyed success as an independent geologist for forty-three years.

Some of Bob’s most notable accomplishments were in his charitable activities: CASA volunteer for 8 years; on the Board of Directors of the Volunteers for Youth Justice for 8 years; on the Board of the Volunteers of America (VOA) for 6 years; and the Board of the Caddo Council on Aging. Bob, with his long-time partner, Sandra Nunnally, founded the Neighbors to Neighbors organization in 2005 and, in partnership with the VOA, provided support for the Lighthouse program which raised over $500,000 for diapers, laptops, afternoon snacks, school uniforms and holiday dinners for program participants. His long-standing activism earned him the “Ellen Brown Spirit of Volunteerism Award” from the VOA (2007); LA CASA Board member of the Year; and the “Public Citizen of the Year Award” from the National Association of Social Workers (Shreveport Region, 2010).

But Bob’s biggest legacy is the example he set for his three children, John Robert (Alice) of Houston; Jeffrey Richard (Jeri) of Shreveport; and Catherine Lynne of Colorado Springs, as well as his grandchildren, Laura (Chris) Chapman, Robert (Caitlyn), David, Brown, Guice and Adam. For them, he modeled what it means to be an active Christian, to be an honorable man, and to always have a sense of humor.

His memorial service will be held at First Presbyterian Church, Shreveport, La. on August 24th at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider contributing to the Volunteers of America.