 |
John William McLeod Thompson
|
Lawyer, MLA (1953-1957), MLA (1958-1959), MLA (1959-1962), judge.
Born at Elkhorn on 18 July 1908, son of Wellington John Thompson and Mary Ashley McLeod (1866-1947), he was educated at Elkhorn School, Brandon College (BA 1929), and the University of Manitoba (LLB 1933). He established a private law practice at Elkhorn, operating it continuously until 1958 except for three years service (1942-1945) in the Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War. He was made a Queen’s Counsel (1960).
After running unsuccesfully in the 1940 federal election, he was elected to the Manitoba Legislature in the 1953 general election, and was re-elected in 1958 and 1959. He held ministerial portfolios of Municipal Affairs (1958-1959), Labour (1958-1959), and Public Works (1959-1962). He resigned in October 1962 when he was appointed a County Court judge in the Southern and Eastern Judicial Districts, based at Morden, serving until retirement in 1983.
He served as a Municipal Councillor (1933-1939), School Trustee (1945-1947), Mayor of Elkhorn (1947-1953), and President of the Canadian Good Roads Association. He was a Life Member of the Roads and Transportation Association of Canada, Royal Canadian Legion, and Progressive Conservative Party.
On 7 July 1942, he married Lorraine Marlene Dutton (1921-2022, daughter of William and Dolly Dutton of Virden) and they had four children: Mary Marlene Thompson (wife of Alvars Pone and Tony Bogert), Dorothy Agnes Thompson (wife of Bill Willson), John William Thompson, and Laurie Ann Thompson.
He died at the Victoria General Hospital on 15 December 1986 and was buried in the Elkhorn Cemetery.
Birth registration [John William McLeod Thompson], Manitoba Vital Statistics.
“Brandon College exercises and giving of degrees,” Brandon Sun, 21 May 1929, page 1.
“Scholarships and degrees will be presented today,” Winnipeg Free Press, 17 May 1933, page 4.
The Canadian Parliamentary Guide, 1956.
“Pone – Thompson,” Winnipeg Free Press, 3 December 1964, page 31.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 17 December 1986, page 56.
Obituary [Lorraine Marlene Thompson], Winnipeg Free Press, 28 May 2022.
Members of the Legislative Assembly (deceased), Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.
Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.
We thank Brent Mitchell for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 19 March 2024
Memorable Manitobans
This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.
Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:
Custom SearchBrowse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | ZBrowse deaths occurring in:
1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024
Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.caCriteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements
Help us keep
history alive!
