BEND, ORE.
Robert Michael Thompson, age 62, died suddenly on Stewart Island, New Zealand, on November 20, 2017, while hiking with his wife.
Bob was born on June 21, 1955. He was the son of Tom and Ann Thompson.
Bob graduated from Columbus High School in 1973 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture from Purdue University. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity.
Bob established a landscaping business in Fort Collins, Colorado.
He was married to Rebecca (Brown), formerly of Columbus, in 1985, and they relocated to Idaho where Bob worked in the travel industry.
Their son, Cameron Glenn, arrived in 1986, and in 1999, they moved to New Zealand where Bob continued his service in the travel industry.
Bob truly had a servant’s heart and following that passion, he went back to school and earned his Bachelor of Laws from the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Upon graduation, Community Law Canterbury put Bob to work providing independent legal guidance and advice to those needing a voice.
He was a big advocate for immigrant employees who were being unfairly treated by their employers.
Most recently, the family had been splitting their time between Oregon and New Zealand.
What the family will remember most about Bob is the humorous, kind, generous, witty and honorable person he was.
His devotion to Rebecca and Cameron, his parents, and his siblings, was exemplary and unconditional.
Bob is survived by his wife, Rebecca; his son, Cameron, of Vancouver; his parents, Tom and Ann Thompson of Columbus; his brother, Rick (Joyce) Thompson of Carmel, and his sister, Debbie (Peter) Vaky of Atlanta, Georgia. His grandparents, Glenn and Louise Thompson, Charles and Bertha (Cletus Herron) McQueen, preceded him in death.
A private memorial service in celebration of his life was held at The Four Seasons Retirement Home.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Wounded Warrior Project or The American Red Cross.
