Col. Harold E. Thompson, Jr., USAF, Ret.

AIKEN, SC – Col. Harold E. Thompson, Jr., USAF Ret., 75, beloved husband of Sandra R. Thompson, died Thursday, April 13, 2017 at Pruitt Health of Aiken. A native of Greenville, SC, Col. Thompson was a son of the late Harold E. Sr. and Vivian Brown Thompson. He graduated from Parker High School and from Clemson University with a BS in mechanical engineering.  He served in the United States Air Force for 23 years, as a program manager, retiring as a Colonel.  He worked on AWACS and the B1B Bomber projects and underground NATO in Belgium.  After his retirement he worked for SAIC for 18 years as a Department of Defense contractor. Col. Thompson moved to Aiken in 2004 and was a member of St. John’s United Methodist Church. He was a volunteer and former president of the Aiken Regional Hospital Auxiliary. Survivors in addition to his wife, Sandra, include two sons, Jeffery Thompson, Pasadena, MD, Adam Thompson, Charlottesville, VA; six grandchildren, Lindsay, Riley, Benjamin, Madeline, Jonas and Nathanael; a brother, Bruce W. Thompson, Greenville, SC A memorial service will be held Saturday morning, April 22nd at 11 o’clock at St. John’s United Methodist Church with The Rev. Dr. Timothy McClendon officiating.  Interment will follow at a later date in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to St. John’s United Methodist Church, 104 Newberry St., NW, Aiken, SC 29801. SHELLHOUSE – RIVERS FUNERAL HOME, 715 EAST PINE LOG RD., AIKEN, SC To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Col. Harold E. Thompson, Jr., USAF, Ret., please visit our flower store.