Rev. William "Bill" Thompson

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Rev. William (Bill) Joel Thompson was born on Thursday, November 20, 1941, in Natural Steps, Arkansas the youngest son of Evelyn Anderson Thompson and Rev. L.T. Thompson who both preceded him in death. He was also preceded in death by his sisters Betty Paige, Mary McClinton, Gladys Watson and brothers Jack Anderson, Cleo Thompson, Herman Thompson and Roosevelt Thompson.
 

He married Mae Reather (Turner) Thompson on November 27, 1966 and to this union three children were born, one son William Joel Thompson Jr. who preceded him in death and two daughters Twanna Joel Johnson and Beverly Ann Lackey.
Rev. William Joel Thompson will be dearly missed by his two children Twanna Joel Johnson and her husband Glen of Tulsa Oklahoma and Beverly Ann Lackey and her husband Charles of Tukwila Washington and his sister Shirley Dunn of Houston Texas.
 

He will live in the memories of his grandchildren Morgan Joel Johnson of Tulsa Oklahoma and Langston Linnaeus Lackey of Tukwila Washington and host of nephews, nieces, cousins and friends.
Rev. Thompson led a full life. After graduating from Branch High School in Newport, AR he attended Philander Smith College and Prairie View A&M University where he took undergrad classes before joining the US Air Force.

During his time in the US Air Force he got to travel around the world and he received a medal of accommodation for his services during the Vietnam War.
 

After leaving the US Air Force he returned to Arkansas and earned a MBA from UCA while he was working at the United States Postal Service as a letter carrier. He also had the honor of serving as the first Black president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, Branch No. 3745 in North Little Rock. During his time working for USPS, he got his calling from God and started pastoring two churches, New Zion UMC and Union Chapel UMC.
 

He later decided to devote his life entirely to being a Messenger of God and enrolled at and graduated from Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City Missouri, where he received his and Masters of Divinity while pastoring two churches, North Street U.M.C in Marshall Missouri, Abbots Chapel UMC in Slater Missouri and chaplin at Penn Valley Community College in Kansas City, Missouri.
 

After receiving his Master of Divinity he went on and became an full-time Elder in the North Arkansas Conference for the United Methodist Church. Rev Bill Thompson spent the rest of this life serving God and the United Methodist Church with numerous appointments including: Pastor of Mallalieu UMC in Fort Smith, AR and Mt Olive UMC in Van Buren, AR, Director of the Wesley foundation at UALR, Associate Superintendent of North Arkansas Conference, Associate Pastor at Lakewood United Methodist Church in North Little Rock AR, and in his final years pastor at Wesley UMC in Brinkley Arkansas and Taylor Chapel UMC in Cotton Plant where he served until he transitioned from this earth.

Viewing will be held at the O.T. Smith Memorial Chapel / Kelly Smith Funeral & Cremation Services located at 8424 Kanis Rd, Little Rock, AR 72204 on Saturday, January 30, 2021 5:00-7:00 PM

Graveside services will be held at Clay Baylor Cemetery Highway 300 across from Natural Steps Baptist Church 12011 Highway 300, Roland, AR 72135 on January 31, 2021 at 1:00 PM

We will be practicing  COVID-19 SAFETY PRECAUTIONS!

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HEALTH ALERT NOTICE: 

ADH / CDC COVID-19 REQUIREMENTS WILL BE PRACTICED; TEMPERATURES taken, hand  SANITIZER used, MASKS MUST BE WORN AT ALL TIMES AT EACH EVENT AND SOCIAL DISTANCING MUST BE OBSERVED!    

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WE WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO CONTINUE TO LIGHT  A CANDLE ON THIS MEMORIAL PAGE THROUGHOUT THE DAYS, MONTHS AND YEARS TO COME. ESPECIALLY, DURING DAYS OF SPECIAL EVENTS, ie. BIRTHDAYS, HOLIDAYS,  ANNIVERSARY AND THEN ON DAYS WHEN YOU JUST WANT TO SAY SOMETHING TO OR ABOUT YOUR LOVED ONES FOR NO SPECIAL REASON,  YOU CAN ALSO SEND PERSONAL MESSAGES, AND UPLOAD PHOTOS ANYTIME. 

THIS MEMORIAL PAGE WILL REMAIN ON OUR WEBSITE INDEFINITELY. DO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS, FEELINGS AND PHOTOS WITH THE FAMILY, THEY WILL APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH.   

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