[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 81 (Friday, June 23, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1087]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO RALPH THOMPSON, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 22, 2000

  Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, ``Working Hard'' is a phrase 
often spoken casually in conversation and this act seen exemplified is 
rare. However, Mr. Ralph Thompson, Jr. did prove so as an Attorney on 
the Monterey Peninsula. Thompson understood the value of hard work in 
his career as well as his personal pursuits. Over his years, Thompson 
dedicated his time and energy to his ``labor of love''--Little League. 
Yet, on February 28, 2000, at the age of 80, Thompson's commitments to 
his laborious loves were ended.
  Born in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Mr. Ralph Thompson, Jr., exemplified 
this in his daily work ethic. After earnings his law degree from 
Stanford University in 1948, he then moved to Carmel where he joined 
the Thompson & Thompson law firm. Following his initial success at 
Thompson & Thompson, Mr. Ralph Thomspon later became a partner at 
Hudson, Wyckoff, Parker, and Thompson in 1961. Thompson found later 
acclaim, in his personal life, as a Little League coach as he was 
awarded the Chief Justice Phil Gibson Award from the Monterey County 
Bar Association for his outstanding public service.
  Peers of Thompson, spoke of him highly, often noting that he would be 
remembered as a, ``litigator with a heart.'' Another friend of 
Thompson's recounted him as being a mentor and teacher, ``who taught 
[him] all that [he] knows[s] about practicing law.'' Thompson's 
courtroom life never strayed to his family life. Known as a `tiger in 
the courtroom', he was also seen as a ``warm, family man.''
  As we remember Mr. Ralph Thompson, let us remember his many fine 
accomplishments as a husband, father, coach, friend and mentor. In 
time, hard work pays off and leaves pride in the hearts of those who 
knew and loved Thompson. He is survived by his wife, Joan; his four 
sons, Lawrence, William, R. Cole, and Douglas; two daughters, Nancy 
Eskilon and Beth Carpenter; and 14 grandchildren.

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