Ralph Thompson in 2005, at a library celebration

PETALUMA, Calif. - Prue Draper, who was Social Editor when I was at the Argus-Courier in Petaluma in the mid-70s, sent me this photo of the late Ralph Thompson, taken last year at a library function. He was a marvelous editor - and great human being.


Ralph Thompson, 2005

Ralph had changed, of course. Twenty years will do that to you. But his basic looks, his face, and his kind of thin-lipped, understated smile had not changed since I worked with him in the 1970s.

I learned just today that he had suddenly had a re-ocurrence of his cancer that put him in a lot of pain just before his death.

Sad, but I'm glad that Ralph didn't linger.

Here's the uncropped photo from last year of Ralph, his sister-in-law Marie, Prue and John Jackson, my very first editor who is still banging away covering sports.

Never give up! Never Surrender!


Ralph and the A-C gang