Guy Thompson, 90, Fort Worth's oldest working funeral director, directed funerals of 25,000+ people
Hoodoo
Monday, Jul. 19, 2010
By Melody McDonald
http://www.star-telegram.com/2010/07/19/2346038/guy-thompson-was-fort-worths-oldest.html
FORT WORTH -- Over the past seven decades, Guy Thompson meticulously
directed the funerals of more than 25,000 people.
Notable people with last names like Carter and Cliburn.
Paupers who had nothing.
Even the services of his mother, father and son.
Relatives said Mr. Thompson, always a perfectionist, is now essentially
handling his own services.
Mr. Thompson, owner of Thompson's Harveson & Cole Funeral Home and the
city's oldest working funeral director, died Sunday. He was 90.
"Dad took care of every detail years ago," his daughter Cindy Thompson
said. "He loved beautiful music and beautiful flowers. It will be
traditional -- and just exactly as he lived his life."
Mr. Thompson was born June 10, 1920, on the city's north side. By the
time he was in middle school, he had decided that he was going to be a
doctor, minister or funeral director. He chose the funeral business
after graduating third in his class in 1937 at North Side High School,
missing out on college scholarships given to the first and second spots.
Mr. Thompson went to work at Robertson Mueller Harper Funeral Home until
he joined the Navy in 1941. When he returned home years later, he took a
job at Harveson & Cole, where he gained a reputation as one of the
city's most compassionate, and passionate, undertakers.
"As a young funeral director, he made every call," Cindy Thompson said.
"Dad personally went out. ... He insisted on meeting every family and
directing every funeral."
Somewhere along the way, relatives said, Mr. Thompson converted to
Catholicism and began worshipping at St. Patrick Catholic Church in
downtown Fort Worth. There, he met a salesman, Victor Simon, from
Toledo, Ohio, who became his roommate and, later, his father-in-law.
While renting Simon a room in his house, Mr. Thompson saw a photo of his
daughter, Kathleen.
"Now, I want to know more about her," Mr. Thompson told Simon.
Simon later took Mr. Thompson home for a visit and, six months later,
Mr. Thompson married his daughter.
The couple had six children: Cindy, Teacy, Tim, Victor and twins, Martin
and Martha.
Personalized service
Relatives said Kathleen Thompson ran the house and Mr. Thompson ran the
funeral home, which the family took ownership of in January 1981. Mr.
Thompson worked nights, weekends and holidays, always making certain
that every individual was given dignity in death.
"On Christmas, we would all be home saying, 'Has Dad left yet?'" Cindy
Thompson recalled. "He took care of his business, and then he came home
and took care of us. We didn't know that parents didn't work seven days
a week. Our treat in the summer was to get to go to work with Dad each
day. It was all part of our life."
Through the decades, Mr. Thompson presided over his share of
high-profile funerals, including newspaper publisher Amon Carter Jr.,
radio evangelist J. Frank Norris and the mother of famed pianist Van
Cliburn, Rildia Bee O'Bryan Cliburn.
But relatives said every family was important to him, and he was honored
to direct their funerals, regardless of whether one person or a thousand
attended. His children recalled how he always tried to personalize services.
Services
Funeral: A Mass of Christian burial will begin at 11 a.m. Friday at Holy
Family Catholic Church in Fort Worth. Interment will follow in Greenwood
Memorial Park.
Mr. Thompson will lie in state from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and 10
a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday at Thompson's Harveson & Cole Funeral Home.
A vigil will be held, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Broadway
Baptist Church in Fort Worth.
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