Douglas Robert Thomson

Douglas R. Thomson, age 67, of Tonganoxie, Kansas, retired Lieutenant Colonel U.S. Army, passed away on December 14, 2022 at his home.

Doug was born in Arlington, VA and resided as a child in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania suburbs and Knoxville, Tennessee. Doug attended the University of Tennessee earning a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. He was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity and he was commissioned in the US Army as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry upon graduation.

After commissioning, Doug attended Infantry Officer Basic Course at Ft. Benning, GA and earned the Expert Infantryman Badge (EIB), Parachutist Badge and the Ranger Tab. His first assignment was in Bamberg, Germany and subsequent assignments sent him to Ansbach, Germany and Fort Irwin, CA. He then left active duty and joined the Army Reserves in Florida. He graduated from Infantry Officer Advanced Course, Command and General Staff College and branch transferred to the Transportation Corps. He was selected and returned to Active status as an Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) Officer. His first assignment was as an Assistant Professor of Military Science and then as the Professor of Military Science at the University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida. He was then selected for assignment to Vicenza, Italy with subsequent assignment to Kaiserslautern, Germany. He was then selected for assignment to the staff of the Chief of Army Reserve Logistics Division. He then attended and graduated from the Defense Acquisition University (DAU), Defense Systems Management College (DSMC), and Advanced Program Management Course becoming Level III Acquisition certified. This led to assignments on Army Secretariat staffs culminating with the Army Materiel Command. He also attended as a resident and graduated from the Senior Service College, U.S. Army War College in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania in June 1999.  Doug was working in the Pentagon and acted as a rescuer during the terrorist attack on the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.  He retired from Active status on July 31, 2003.

Doug earned a Master of Arts (MA) in Management from the University of Redlands in 1986, a Master of Arts (MA) in Education and Instructional Technology Management from the University of Central Florida in 1988 and earned an Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Central Florida in 1997.

After his retirement he worked as a contractor in support of the Secretary of Defense, the Army Secretariat for Acquisition and Logistics and the US Army. He worked as the Senior Program Manager at Fort Benning, GA in support of the Fort Benning Logistics Readiness Center Logistics Support Services contract and retired from VSE Corporation as a Senior Program Manager. Doug was inducted into the University of Tennessee Army ROTC Alumni Hall of Fame on October 25, 2019.

Doug was active as an Ice Hockey coach in Northern Virginia and Kansas for over 15 years and over 20 years as an Ice Hockey Referee in Virginia, Maryland, D.C., Georgia, Missouri and Kansas.  He was selected and served as the Kansas State Supervisor for Mid-West Amateur Hockey Association (MWAHA) Officials from June 2020 July 2022.

Doug is currently married to Sherri L. Spade of Tonganoxie, KS. He was previously married to Barbara Thomson and they have two adopted children, Matthew Lee (Rolesville, NC) and Katharine Amanda (Virginia Beach, VA).

He enjoyed travels throughout the United States, Mexico, Scotland, England, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and the Caribbean.

Doug is survived by his wife Sherri L. Spade, he was preceded in death by his parents Robert D. Thomson and Merlyn B. Thomson. He is survived by his son Matthew Lee and his wife Karina of Rolesville, North Carolina and his daughter, Katharine Amanda of Virginia Beach, Virginia. He is survived by his stepdaughters, Jennifer Marie (Walker) Wilson and her husband Tyler Wilson of Overland Park, Kansas and Angela Renee (Walker) Hanney and her husband Chris Hanney of Wichita, Kansas. He is survived by grandsons Walker Ray and Wren Marie Wilson of Overland Park, Kansas, William James Hanney of Wichita, KS, and Kai David and Koa Henry Thomson of Rolesville, North Carolina. He is survived by his brother, Scott Thomson and his sister-in-law, Jennifer and niece, Marissa Taylor, and nephews Joshua Scott and Zachary James of Windermere, FL.

Funeral services will be 10:00, Monday, December 19, 2022 at Roberts-Blue-Barnett Funeral Home, Emporia with burial following at Admire Cemetery, Admire, Kansas with military honors from Ball-McColm Post #5 American Legion and Lowry Funston Post #1980 Veterans of Foreign Wars.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Disabled American Veterans in care of Roberts-Blue-Barnett Funeral Home, P.O. Box #175, Emporia, Kansas 66801.