Henry Eugene Thomson, 1928-2008: Longtime teacher, coach dies at age 80

Henry Eugene Thomson, a teacher, coach and member of the Washington Community College Hall of Fame, has died.

He was 80 when he died on June 8.

Thomson was born in Seattle, where he attended Ravenna Elementary School. He spent part of his adolescence in Winchester, Mass.

After moving back to Washington, he graduated from Roosevelt High School, where he played basketball and was a member of the team that won the 1946 state championship.

Upon graduating from high school he joined the Navy. He was honorably discharged after contracting polio.

Thomson attended the University of Washington where he studied education and history. There he met his future wife, Alice Robbins, in a folk-dance class.

After teaching and coaching junior and high school at Lakeside and Shoreline High School, Thomson taught Far Eastern and Pacific Northwest History and became the head of the social science division at Shoreline Community College. He also continued coaching. Under his leadership, the track team won three consecutive state championships from 1967 to 1969.

He was honored for his coaching career by being named to the Community College Hall of Fame.

In addition to coaching and golfing, Thomson loved volunteering, playing pickle ball and traveling. As a Fulbright scholar, he studied Indian culture in Poona, India, and visited Japan and Hong Kong. He also traveled with his family to attend the Olympics, including the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany.

His students included former Washington state Gov. Booth Gardner. He also coached Brian Sternberg, who set the 1963 world record for pole-vaulting.

Additionally, Thomson served for 44 years on the YMCA Camp Orkila board of directors and was an active member of several Rotary Club chapters.

Thomson is survived by his wife; his two children, Forest Thomson and Robin Aschenbrenner; five grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. June 23 at the Kiana Lodge in Poulsbo. Memorials can be the Seattle YMCA Camp Orkila Fund or a charity of your choice.