Wilbur (Bud) Mason Thompson

Wilbur (Bud) Mason Thompson, loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather, passed away at the age of 95 on Wednesday, February 17, 2021 in Grand Rapids Michigan.

Bud was born on October 24, 1925 in Bicknell, Indiana where he lived with his parents and sisters Rosey and Jane.  On December 7, 1942, the bombing of Pearl Harbor inspired Bud to join the Navy and was assigned to the USS Wisconsin. Bud served in Dunkeswell, England supporting the Liberator aircraft and protecting the English Channel until his honorable discharge in 1946.  Bud returned to Bicknell where he married the love of his life Maxine Helen Wilson.  Together, they raised two children, Debra and Michael in Terre Haute, Indiana.

Bud and Maxine shared a passion for travel.  When Bud retired from Public Service Indiana in 1984, he sold the house he and Maxine had built together and purchased a trailer so they could tour the country. After many years of traveling in the US, Bud and Maxine rented a motorhome in New Zealand and spent a wonderful summer travelling and making new friends. They finally settled in Surprise Arizona to be near his adult children and grandkids where they lived until 2011 when he moved to Grand Rapids, MI and lived in an assisted living village.  Bud was loved by the residents and staff, and was known for his quick wit, infectious good mood, love of chocolate peanut butter ice-cream and red wine, and his deep friendship with Al as the pop-corn masters of Holland Homes.

Bud was preceded in death by his father Leonard, his mother Rose, sister Rosie Birch and wife Maxine. He is survived by his two children, Deborah and Michael, their spouses, 8 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

Bud was happy, healthy, and sharp until just a week before his death at the age of 95.  He was well loved and will be missed by his family and friends.