Frank J. Thompson passed away 18 Jan. 2012. Born 2 Feb. 1932, Thompson joined Penfield Power Squadron in 1967. A squadron and District 2 past commander, Thompson also served on the USPS Nominations Committee and as national law officer. For many years, he served as district parliamentarian and a member of its Committee on Rules.
After graduating from Loyola University in 1954 with an electrical engineering degree, Thompson served in the U.S. Air Force. He attended Georgetown University Law School in the evenings while working at General Electric. After graduation, he became a patent attorney for RCA, GE and Sylvania.
In 1975 Thompson established a private intellectual property law practice, where he helped numerous entrepreneurs get their start before he retired in 2002. He received many certificates of appreciation for his volunteer work in law.
Thompson and his wife, Mary Ellen, had five children and lived in Fairfield, Conn. They had traveled much of Europe and were fluent in Italian. They also enjoyed taking their 20-foot Grady-White to Shelter Island, where they often helped local sailors in distress.
