Gilbert Lee Thompson

On December 20, 2024, Gilbert Lee Thompson passed away; beloved husband of the late Jeanne D. Thompson (nee Miller); devoted father of Susan J. Thompson, Bonnie Williams and her husband Donald and the late Ellen J. Thompson; loving grandfather of Brian Williams, Jonathan Williams and the late Timothy Williams; great-grandfather of Ethan and Faith Williams; uncle of Debbie Thompson.

Visiting at the E.F. Lassahn Funeral Home, P.A. 11750 Belair Road (Kingsville) on Friday, December 27, 2024, from 2-4 and 6-8 pm. Funeral services will be held at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (Kingsville) on Saturday, December 28, 2024, at 11 am. Interment St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 12022 Jerusalem Road Kingsville, MD. 21087 or Beachmont Christian Ministries, 6433 Mt. Vista Road, Kingsville, MD 21087 or Helping Hands Food Pantry, PO Box 192, Upper Falls, MD 21156.

G I L

T H O M P S O N

October 17, 1930

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December 20, 2024

First, our family would like to thank so many of you who have offered support and prayers and especially friendship to our parents, and now our dad, and us three girls through the years. Our early lives were spent worshipping, going to school, and being in youth group at St. Paul’s Lutheran, the church our parents joined in 1955. To say that the church was important to our dad is an under-statement. For good or bad, his hand is seen in the original school building, the re-design of the sanctuary, the stained glass windows, and in so many other places. He daily read the Bible, imagined new ways of expressing faith, and could recite any scripture or Bible story without blinking an eye. He was not a man who wasted time.

A particular poem written in 1996 and sometimes repeated at funerals aptly describes our dad. Years ago, it became a best seller book and has often been repeated by others. The poem is called “The Dash” and refers to the dates on one’s tombstone, from the beginning to the end of life. (Date of Birth – Date of Death). We thought our father was a good candidate for excellent use of the dash because of all of the good he has done and the way he has affected people throughout his life.

The challenge of the poem is to spend your dash in a meaningful and purposeful way….life in between truly matters. And we think Gil Thompson has lived the dash so gloriously, in a real and loving way, it is going to be hard to imagine a world without Gil Thompson in it!

His love of family and his former wife, Jeanne (our mother), is legendary. He believed in hard work, high ethics, and loyalty to friends. In our growing up years, any time left over after holding 2-3 jobs early in his career, was spent at church and at events with his family.

The other area of Gil’s devotion was to the electrical industry in Maryland. The various Boards and Titles he held are too numerous to list. In particular, though, he spent many years teaching code classes to electricians, spent many a legislative session in Annapolis advocating for change in the State Electrical Laws and procedures, and developed a state-wide, county by county, organization to keep all Boards on track in regards to licensing procedures, safety practices, and work standards. Along with a few others, Gil wrote the test questions on which electricians were tested to become Master Electricians. He was a walking encyclopedia of code issues and emerging technologies. Admirably, one month before his passing, he held a state-wide zoom meeting to gather leaders in the field to discuss important topics of concern. He was living his dash well, treating others with respect, good humor, and caring for the public more than anyone could possibly know.

If you are reading this, you most certainly will remember Gil for something special: a hug when you needed it; a prayer to uplift and heal you; a reliable and passionate Elder, usher, and church leader; someone who liked to share a good joke or story; provider of financial support when you least expected it; zeal and passion for important projects that needed to get done; a reminder to return to your roots or first purpose if you were trying to make a decision; optimism in the face of seemingly tough odds; friendship and understanding that never waivered. If you wanted something done, ask Gil Thompson. If you wanted a correct answer to anything electrical, ask Gil. If you wanted advice about food, football, or how to fix something– ask Gil.

Now – back to the “Dash Poem.”

Here it is for you to consider:

I read of a man who stood to speak

at the funeral of a friend.

He referred to the dates on the tombstone

from the beginning to the end.

He noted first came the date of the birth and spoke the following date with tears.

But he said what mattered most of all was the dash between the years.

For that dash represents all the time

that they spent life on Earth.

And now only those who loved them

know what that little line is worth.

For it matters not how much we own - the cars, the house, the cash.

What matters is how we live and love, and how we spend our dash.

So, think about this long and hard.

Are there things you’d like to change?

For you never know how much time is left that can still be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough

to consider what’s true and real,

and always try to understand

the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger,

and show appreciation more,

and love the people in our lives

like we’ve never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect

and more often wear a smile,

remembering that this special dash

might only last a little while.

So, when your eulogy is being read

with your life’s actions to rehash,

would you be proud of the things they say about how you spent your dash?

We all are proud of the way Gil spent the dash – the in-between years of life and death. His faith informed all he did, and while he will be sorely missed, we know he is united with his Lord and Savior and those saints gone before him. We are grateful for the love and the support of such a fine man, outstanding dad, loving husband, uncle, grandad, neighbor, and our friend.

Thank you for being a part of dad’s life, and ours, too. We hope to stay connected and to keep dad’s memory alive.

Lovingly,

Sue, Bonnie, and Family

FACTOIDS – GILBERT L. THOMPSON

Resident of Kingsville for 72 years

Retired Chief Electrical Inspector for Baltimore County Government

Still active in the electrical trade and organizations locally, state-wide, and nationally.

 MD Uniform Electric Exam Organization (MUELEC) – Past President and Exec. Dir.

 Electric League of MD (ELM) – Past President and Present Vice President and Legislative Liaison

 Member of the Underwriter’s Laboratory Council

 Legislative Liaison for two national magazines and the NFPA

 Helped develop the inspection agency for Anne Arundel and Baltimore Counties by establishing standards for electrical inspection. He was the legislative liaison for many years and spoke on behalf of the electrical industry to the State Legislature.

One of the founding members of Beachmont Christian Ministries and served on the Board for 40 years.

Familiar face at the Kingsville Market from its opening to its closing…a behind the counter “PR Man” for promoting the Kingsville Improvement Association, the Kingsville Fire Department, and Friends of Jerusalem Mill and other local events.

Elder and Officer of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Kingsville, MD, teaching adult Bible studies, serving on building, evangelism, and administrative committees.

In later years, his energies were devoted to promoting the Helping Hands Food Pantry, an organization that serves the needs of hungry people in the Kingsville area and beyond. He was one of the founding members of Helping Hands and President of the Board of Directors.