March 18, 1931 - January 30, 2021
Lee B. Thompson, Jr. was born March 18, 1931 in Oklahoma City, the son of Lee B. Thompson and Elaine Bizzell Thompson. He died peacefully on January 30, 2021, at home in the company of his three children following a brief illness. He would have been 90 in March. He was the grandson of Dr. William Bennett Bizzell, 5th president of the University of Oklahoma.
Lee grew up in Oklahoma City where he attended Edgemere Grade School, Harding Jr. High and was a 1949 graduate of the original Classen High School. In 1954, he received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from OU where he was a devoted member of Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He went on to serve as a Beta District Chief and a National Vice President.
In his freshman year at OU, he met fellow freshman, Ann Richards of Tulsa, on a blind date. Neither ever had a date with anyone else. They were married in 1954 upon graduation and enjoyed 47 years of marriage until Ann’s death in 2001.
Upon graduation, Lee was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Air Force and served two years active duty at Keesler AFB, MS and Francis E. Warren AFB, WY.
Following initial employment in the oil industry, he became a New York Life Insurance agent in Enid, where he enjoyed an extraordinarily successful career as a Chartered Life Underwriter. He was a member of the Million Dollar Round Table each of 48 years, reaching its highest ranking levels of Top of the Table and Court of the Table. He was New York Life’s Oklahoma City General Office’s Agent of the Year 8 times.
Lee was a devoted citizen of Enid and was a very active civic leader for which he was honored. In 2005, he received Enid’s “Pillar of the Plains Award” for his “extraordinary service” including past presidencies of the St. Mary’s Regional Health Center board, Enid School board, Enid Airport Board, Enid Fire and Civil Service, Enid Rotary Club, Public Safety Tax Commission and Oakwood Country Club.
He was an instrument rated pilot, played OU freshman, intramural, Air Force and commercial league basketball, loved golf, and is remembered by many as the longtime OU spotter for his friend, broadcaster Bob Barry, eventually becoming producer/director of the Sooner Football Network broadcasts. From boyhood, Lee had the gift of being a friend and had many great, lifelong friends. An example is his enjoyment of being a member of the “Good News Coffee Group” of Enid which he attended every weekday morning for 55 years. He was considered the Chairman of the group.
He was the proud father and grandfather his children, Kathi McGee of Boulder, CO; Lee B. “Trippy” Thompson, III (and grandsons, Dexter and Gus) of Kingston, NY and Suzy Thompson (Steve "Wampus" Reynolds and grandson, Sangster) of Norman; brother, Ralph G. Thompson (Barbara) and sister, Carolyn Zachritz (Don) of Oklahoma City. The family thanks J. B. Baker for her years of friendship and companionship to Lee, and remembers Esther Dreschler for her companionship from 2005 until her death in 2011.
A memorial service will be held when pandemic conditions permit. Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Henninger-Hinson Funeral Home.
Memorials gifts may be given through the funeral home to Enid Public Schools Foundation or Enid SPCA.
Obituaries are posted, in part, due to the generosity of The Commons.
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