Hampshire remembers educator

Gail Thompson's influence can still be seen in the kindergarten classrooms at Hampshire Elementary School -- 33 years after she started her teaching career at the school.

Thompson had a hand in the annual kindergarten picnic, the yearly field trips to Goebbert's Pumpkin Patch and the children's parade on Halloween.

By the time she retired after the 2006-07 school year, Thompson had taught two generations of Hampshire children to read and prepared almost 2,000 students for the first grade.

"The kindergarten program at Hampshire Elementary was Gail Thompson," said Gary Wright, who retired this year after serving as principal for 19 years -- all of them while Thompson was teaching.

"The thing I remember about Gail is, first and foremost, her dedication to her students," Wright said. "When children got to first grade, they knew the kids that Gail had."

Hampshire is filled with hundreds of stories of parents and former students who were touched by Thompson's commitment to early education.

Many of those stories, and some new ones, resurfaced after Thompson's death Monday after a long illness.

"My daughter was able to read because of Mrs. Thompson," said Jim Aalfs, the new principal of Hampshire Elementary.

When Thompson retired this year, the school held an open house to honor her three decades of service.

"Literally, there were hundreds and hundreds of people who came by and shared stories with her," Aalfs said.

Some of the parents who called Aalfs to share their memories were students of Thompson and later had children in her classroom.

"She has definitely had an impact on the character and fabric of Hampshire Elementary School," Community Unit District 300 Superintendent Ken Arndt said.

Thompson was born in Elgin and graduated from Hampshire High School. She got her teaching degree at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, and later earned her master's degree in education from DePaul University. She was 61 when she died.

Thompson is survived by her husband, Larry; daughter, Brenda; sons, Alan and Steve; grandchildren, Jamie, Christopher, Emily, Madison and Shannon; sisters, Kay and Patty; and brother, Bill.

A memorial service for Thompson will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday at Hampshire Elementary School, 321 Terwilliger Ave. Visitation will be from 4 to 9 p.m. today in the school's multipurpose room.

Memorials can be made to a fund at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Pingree Grove, where Thompson was a lifelong member and taught Sunday school and vacation Bible school.