May 21, 1937 ~ January 1, 2025 (age 87)
Following a serious medical event at his Chillicothe, OH, home early on New Year’s Eve morning, Donald (Don) W. Thompson, 87, died peacefully on January 1, 2025, at nearby Adena Regional Medical Center, where he was encircled in love by his wife of nearly 47 years, Janelle Thompson, close family members, and a host of exceptionally caring health professionals.
Don’s life was an extraordinary one by any measure. Born the youngest of five siblings in Columbus, OH, in May of 1937 to Carlton H. Thompson and Doris M. Brate Thompson, Don learned to make his way in this world against sometimes staggering odds. Losing his mother when he was just seven years old, Don went to live with his eldest brother, C.M. Thompson of Westerville, OH, C.M.’s wife Virginia, and their children Virginia (Peachie) Thompson and Carlton Wayne (Rusty) Thompson, who became “bonus siblings” in the process.
In the supportive structure of his new home, Don learned to appreciate education and the world of nature deeply. He had already gotten an amazing start, when at the tender age of two and a half, he could flawlessly identify by name and likeness over 250 bird species, which soon afterward landed Don a feature in the local newspaper. Upon earning his undergraduate and graduate degrees from The Ohio State University, studying wildlife conservation and wildlife management, respectively, Don parlayed his love of nature and science into an extensive career in conservation. In 1961, he became a research fellow with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Cooperative Research Unit before joining the ODNR Division of Wildlife in 1964, where he took on increasing roles of responsibility leading to Chief of Game Management in 1966 and Superintendent of Research in 1968.
His greatest body of work, however, came via a three-decade leadership journey within Ducks Unlimited, Inc. Don joined the prestigious waterfowl preservation organization in 1969 as a regional director, and rose through the organization in challenging, rewarding roles which took him and his wife Janelle across the country to conservation hubs in Tennessee, Arkansas, Illinois, and Mississippi, where he made an exceptional difference to duck and geese populations, waterfowl hunters, and the dedicated staff and volunteers of Ducks Unlimited. Don retired from Ducks Unlimited in 1999 as Director of Conservation Programs for DU’s Southern Regional Office after serving as, among other key-leader positions, DU’s Director of North American Habitat.
Don’s impact as a wildlife biologist on Ohio’s conservation efforts and his development of a model wetlands restoration project was forever commemorated with the November 2011 dedication of the 112-acre Donald Thompson Wetland in the Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area on Sandusky Bay, bordering Lake Erie. The wetland was the first tract of land funded under the North American Wetlands Conservation Act.
Nobody could paint a wildlife picture with words like Don could. Through his tales, he made friends, colleagues, and family alike yearn for their own opportunities to come face to face with nature. If anyone could make one want to bunk with a baby skunk like he did one long summer, fish for fast-swimming Alaskan salmon, or build Mallard nesting boxes across fragile marshlands, Don could. His delightful grin while sharing his firsthand experiences would absolutely illuminate a room.
Surviving family members will miss Don tremendously. They include wife Janelle K. Feagan Thompson of Chillicothe, OH, sisters Janice Brinker of Atlanta, GA, and Peachie Thompson of Reynoldsburg, OH, and numerous nephews and nieces.
Don was preceded in death by his parents Carlton and Doris Thompson as well as brothers C.M. Thompson, Bill Thompson, Bob Thompson, and Rusty Thompson.
No public service is planned, but in lieu of flowers for the home, tax-deductible donations may be made in Don’s memory to: Ross County (OH) Humane Society, 2308 Lick Run Road, Chillicothe, OH, 45601, www.rosscountyhumanesociety.org, 740.775.6808.