Obituary for Baldwin A Thompson
Baldwin A Thompson, passed away at his home in Pflugerville on Monday, May 30, 2022, at the age of 91. Baldwin was born February 28, 1931, in Mercedes, Texas to Mary Jane Martin and L.D. Thompson. He married Patsy Pace in Gonzales in May of 1998.
Thompson graduated from Weslaco High School in 1950 after an outstanding career in sports, earning letters for two years in football and three in track. In the 200-yard low hurdles, he set a record and placed third in the state meet in 1949.
He enrolled in Stephen F. Austin in the Spring semester of 1951 and lettered in both football and track in 1951, ’52, and ’53. In football, Baldwin played both offense and defense at the end position; and was selected second team all-conference defense in 1952 and first team offense in 1953. He was co-captain of both the football team and track teams in 1953 and president of the “T’ Association in 1953. He was also selected for “Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities”. Thompson graduated from SFA in 1954 with a BS degree in Vocational Agriculture.
Baldwin was featured under “The Spotlight” in a newspaper article once, representing his outstanding sports performances, and it read: “Upon Baldwin Thompson rests many of the hopes for the 1952 edition of the SFA Lumberjacks. Last year, he was the second-ranking receiver at SFA, catching six passes for 129 yards and four touchdowns. When he teams up with Little All-American Buddy Terry, SFA will have the two top offensive ends in the conference.
Besides being outstanding in football, Eco is one of the Lumberjacks’ best distance runners. Incidentally, the nickname “Eco” is from the name of a circus freak. Whether or not the title fits, we’ll leave it up to your judgement. Quiet and unassuming, Baldwin has one dislike and that is bad food. Girls on the campus maintain he dislikes women, too. When asked what he liked the most, he replied that football was his favorite. Baldwin is not only a steady performer in sports, but he maintains a better than C average in his studies.
On the statistical side, Baldwin is 20 years of age, 5’11” tall, and a junior student hailing from Weslaco, by the way, is deep in the Valley and is the home of another Lumberjack of recent years, Homer Ryan. While in Weslaco High School, Eco was a star in baseball, football, and track. He later attended Texas Southmost College in Brownsville, where he continued to star in all three sports. Baldwin is a member of the Lumberjack T Association and Forester Social Club.”
Following graduation, Baldwin served two years in the U.S. Army, spending most of his time in Germany playing football and running track for the military.
Completing his military service, Thompson coached football and tracker in Weslaco for three years, then worked in Libya, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia in an exploration for three and a half years. He was operations manager for a Charolais Cattle Ranch in Mississippi for two years before returning to the teaching field in Weslaco. He was the assistant principal and welding instructor in the Vocational Education School then taught high school math and science until his retirement in 1986.
Baldwin Thompson was inducted into the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack’s “Ring of Honor”. The induction was held during the halftime section of the SFA v. Texas State University football game. He played football and ran track for Stephen F. Austin in 1951, ’52, and ’53. In the school’s 75-year history, only 37 athletes have received this honor.
After retirement from teaching, he worked part-time at the resort/fishing community in Arroyo City. After losing his wife of 34 years to cancer in 1997, Baldwin has since remarried. He and his high school sweetheart Patsy (Pace), who was a widow, are now making their home in McAllen.
Baldwin is survived by his wife, Patsy Thompson, daughter, Dixie Keir of Pflugerville, sons, Bruce Lackey of New Braunfels, Douglas Lackey of Pflugerville, and Michel Lackey of Gonzales, several grand and great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, first wife, and sister, Yvonne Swanson.
A visitation will take place on Monday, June 6, 2022, from 9:30 – 10:00 AM, at the Gonzales Memorial Park Cemetery. A graveside service will begin at 10:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the: Disabled American Veterans: PO Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250. Friends and family may leave their condolences and sign the guestbook by visiting www.seydlerhillfuneralhome.com. Services are under the care and direction of Seydler-Hill Funeral Home.
Thompson graduated from Weslaco High School in 1950 after an outstanding career in sports, earning letters for two years in football and three in track. In the 200-yard low hurdles, he set a record and placed third in the state meet in 1949.
He enrolled in Stephen F. Austin in the Spring semester of 1951 and lettered in both football and track in 1951, ’52, and ’53. In football, Baldwin played both offense and defense at the end position; and was selected second team all-conference defense in 1952 and first team offense in 1953. He was co-captain of both the football team and track teams in 1953 and president of the “T’ Association in 1953. He was also selected for “Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities”. Thompson graduated from SFA in 1954 with a BS degree in Vocational Agriculture.
Baldwin was featured under “The Spotlight” in a newspaper article once, representing his outstanding sports performances, and it read: “Upon Baldwin Thompson rests many of the hopes for the 1952 edition of the SFA Lumberjacks. Last year, he was the second-ranking receiver at SFA, catching six passes for 129 yards and four touchdowns. When he teams up with Little All-American Buddy Terry, SFA will have the two top offensive ends in the conference.
Besides being outstanding in football, Eco is one of the Lumberjacks’ best distance runners. Incidentally, the nickname “Eco” is from the name of a circus freak. Whether or not the title fits, we’ll leave it up to your judgement. Quiet and unassuming, Baldwin has one dislike and that is bad food. Girls on the campus maintain he dislikes women, too. When asked what he liked the most, he replied that football was his favorite. Baldwin is not only a steady performer in sports, but he maintains a better than C average in his studies.
On the statistical side, Baldwin is 20 years of age, 5’11” tall, and a junior student hailing from Weslaco, by the way, is deep in the Valley and is the home of another Lumberjack of recent years, Homer Ryan. While in Weslaco High School, Eco was a star in baseball, football, and track. He later attended Texas Southmost College in Brownsville, where he continued to star in all three sports. Baldwin is a member of the Lumberjack T Association and Forester Social Club.”
Following graduation, Baldwin served two years in the U.S. Army, spending most of his time in Germany playing football and running track for the military.
Completing his military service, Thompson coached football and tracker in Weslaco for three years, then worked in Libya, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia in an exploration for three and a half years. He was operations manager for a Charolais Cattle Ranch in Mississippi for two years before returning to the teaching field in Weslaco. He was the assistant principal and welding instructor in the Vocational Education School then taught high school math and science until his retirement in 1986.
Baldwin Thompson was inducted into the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjack’s “Ring of Honor”. The induction was held during the halftime section of the SFA v. Texas State University football game. He played football and ran track for Stephen F. Austin in 1951, ’52, and ’53. In the school’s 75-year history, only 37 athletes have received this honor.
After retirement from teaching, he worked part-time at the resort/fishing community in Arroyo City. After losing his wife of 34 years to cancer in 1997, Baldwin has since remarried. He and his high school sweetheart Patsy (Pace), who was a widow, are now making their home in McAllen.
Baldwin is survived by his wife, Patsy Thompson, daughter, Dixie Keir of Pflugerville, sons, Bruce Lackey of New Braunfels, Douglas Lackey of Pflugerville, and Michel Lackey of Gonzales, several grand and great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, first wife, and sister, Yvonne Swanson.
A visitation will take place on Monday, June 6, 2022, from 9:30 – 10:00 AM, at the Gonzales Memorial Park Cemetery. A graveside service will begin at 10:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the: Disabled American Veterans: PO Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250. Friends and family may leave their condolences and sign the guestbook by visiting www.seydlerhillfuneralhome.com. Services are under the care and direction of Seydler-Hill Funeral Home.