Petaluma community loses a big, big man and a great athlete

Jerry Thompson was a great athlete, an excellent official and an even better man.|

(Following is a commentary by sports editor John Jackson.)

Petaluma has lost another link with not only its sports, but also its community’s, past.?A funeral liturgy will be held Saturday for Jerald Roy Thompson. Services will be at 11 a.m. at Parent-Sorensen Mortuary, 850 Keokuk Street at 11 a.m.

I should have known, but was still shocked to see his name in print as “Jerald.” He was always to me and the hundreds of Petalumans who knew him as simply “Jerry.”

To say that Jerry was larger than life is to say a lot because he stood at least 6 feet, 9 inches tall. I may be off a couple of inches one way or another, because I could never find a ladder tall enough to let me measure him.

Jerry wasn’t only big, he was a gifted athlete. From the moment he picked up a bat and a basketball he was destined to be a star, and he was certainly that from Little League to St. Vincent High School where he is in the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame to Santa Rosa Junior College.

When he was playing for the Petaluma Leghorns semi-pro team I once saw him hit a pitch the length of McNear Park from home plate to what is now the Cavanaugh swimming pool. I don’t recall if it was a splash hit, but I do know it had the distance.

Jerry had the talent to play professional baseball, maybe on the highest level, but had his career interrupted by the U.S. Marines who decided he was needed in Vietnam.

When he returned, he had some pro tryouts, but was a little old to start struggling through the Minor Leagues and contented himself with hitting monster home runs for the Leghorns.

He was also a heck of a basketball player and combined with friend Lynn Livie to play AAU ball on the highest level not only locally, but in the super-competitive Metro Basketball League in Sacramento.

As good an athlete as he was, Jerry Thompson was even a better human being.

He was ultra polite, but he did love to talk and he could speak with all the speed of a bullet train.

After he settled in to being an official in both baseball and basketball, he became even more legendary with his running conversations with players and fans. He was an excellent umpire and basketball official, but was far from the silent type. He offered encouragement to players and fans alike, always with a hearty laugh and a kind word.

I well remember setting up my press box (lawn chair, score book and Gatorade) down the right-field line at Petaluma High for a softball game. Jerry was umpiring on the bases and, during a between-innings warm up, he introduced me to the T-Girl first baseman.

“Do you know Mr. Jackson?” he asked the puzzled infielder, and proceeded with a flowery introduction that continued until the batter stepped in to hit.

That was Jerry, who would also hum or even sing a tune between innings of a game, all the while never missing a call.

I once saw him referee a junior high basketball game by himself while mostly standing at mid-court because of a bad knees, and never get one word of complaint from either bench.

During a change of command ceremony at the Coast Guard T^raining Center at Two Rock, the out-going commander singled Jerry out for his contributions to the base as a sports official.

He died at age 71.

Jerry was the father of Beth Thompson and Daniel Thompson and the former husband of Mary Thompson. He was he brother of Joan Jack and the James Pluth, and the son of the late Roy and Loretta

Thompson.

To blatantly steal from Jimmy Dean: He was “A big, big man.”

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