Celebrant Pam Meily Vetter


	Celebrating Life Everyone Has A Story...

	"It's always better to give than receive." Orville "Mikel" Thompson was born in Ohio to his parents Ethel and George Thompson in 1919. He was very close with his six siblings. His mother was a homemaker, who had a great influence on Mike, while his father worked hard on the railroad. The family lived out in the country and Mike always appreciated the outdoors. Mike learned to work at a young age as he helped his mother and stepfather by working in the general store. He was active in his hometown Methodist church, even working as a janitor. He'd light the fire to warm up the church before everyone arrived for services on Sunday morning. With a love for sports, Mikel was very athletic in school. He graduated from high school in Ohio. In 1942, Mike was drafted into the United States Army during World War II. Assigned to serving overseas, he arrived on the second day of the infamous Battle of Normandy. He saw the heaviest fighting during the invasion of Normandy and lost many friends. He also fought in the Battle of the Bulge under one of the most famous commanders in the U.S. Army, General George Patton. Mike was a sergeant with 25 men serving under his leadership, when they tricked the German Army with a decoy army. To create their Ghost Army, they used inflatable trucks, tanks, jeeps, airplanes, and sounds effects without firing any shots. It created an illusion of strength of the American troops. For his dedication to our country, Mike was awarded five medals for bravery when he finished his honorable service in 1945 as a war hero. After the war, Mike went back home to Ohio where he worked on the railroad and in the park service. He was working as a waiter in one of the best restaurants in Dayton, Ohio, when he met his future wife, Martha. She was working as a waitress at another restaurant and they had a lot in common. In fact, she was engaged to someone else when Mike swept her off her feet. Martha was a lot of fun. They went out dancing often and really enjoyed their time together. The couple eloped to Kentucky and married in 1948. Moving to Miami Beach, Florida, Mike quickly found work as a waiter at the famous McFadden Deauville Hotel, where all of the famous entertainers dined. He even waited on a young, beautiful actress by the name of Elizabeth Taylor. Moving to Michigan in 1954, Martha and Mike had their own farm. Mike even named his favorite dairy cow "Popeye." Pursuing new opportunities, the family moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1956, where Mike became a waiter at the Brown Derby. He also worked as a Fuller Brush Salesman, before becoming a manager in wholesale distribution at Glaser Brothers, where he worked for the next 30 years. He was always a hard worker. From Florida to California, Martha and Mike had six children. They loved being parents. Every few years, they traveled to Ohio, Tennessee, and Florida with a car load of kids in the station wagon. The trips were great fun as Mike was a world class teaser. The family was extremely close. Sadly, Martha passed away unexpectedly in 1966. It was very difficult for Mike, but he found the strength to move forward. A year and a half later, he married LaBelle, who he met at Glaser Brothers, which expanded the family with more children. Mike was a good father and loved all ten of his children. With his military background, he was strict. Shoes were always a necessity in the house and he inspected the kids' fingernails for cleanliness. Wanting his kids to always to look their best, he had the girls carry books on their heads for good posture. He taught all of the kids about the importance of a strong handshake grip, as he often judged people by their handshake. If the kids said they were bored, he'd give them a job scrubbing the white landscaping rocks in the yard. He dropped the kids off at church on Sunday morning for services, because he wanted them to have a good foundation and strong beliefs in God. The kids never lacked for anything and it was really important to him that his kids were close with each other. With love, he gave all of his kids special nicknames. Mike was truly a homebody and his family was always his priority. He turned down well-paying jobs to be home with his family. He loved all of the holidays such as Easter, St. Patrick's Day in honor of his Irish heritage, Mother's Day, and Thanksgiving. His favorite holiday was Christmas, as he put up a huge live Christmas tree every year. He loved handing out the presents on Christmas day, which took hours with so many kids. It was his favorite day of the year. He even invited extended family and friends to the Christmas celebration so everyone could spend time together. With many favorites in life, Mike enjoyed eating steak and lobster. He drank International Coffee with French Vanilla Cream, a vanilla milkshake every day and he loved red lollipops. Now and then, he drank a Corby's Royal Reserve Whiskey and Coke. He adored songs by Frank Sinatra. He liked listening to the radio and he was especially fond of The Lawrence Welk Show. With many funny sayings that still make his family smile, he said, "If I want your opinion, I'll give it to you," and "Straighten up and fly right." If he thought you were overweight, he said, "You're looking good." He was a voracious reader of The Register Newspaper, reading it from the front page to the back page every day without fail. He loved gardening, yard work, planting flowers, and pulling weeds. Reminding him of his childhood, he appreciated the outdoors and loved putting his hands in the dirt. He swept the front and back of his home every day, because he believed in his property looking nice. His kids often bought him a new broom once a week. Mike was strong and he exercised a lot by doing work around the house. He even Cloroxed the gutters, keeping everything clean. Mike always paid attention to detail. He had a handkerchief in his front pocket and a steel comb in his back pocket. His license plate said "Mikel T" and he appreciated all of the people in his life. Hallmark Cards will miss Mike, because he sent cards for every event. He spent hours hand-picking cards for people. He always bought quality cards and they had to have the paper inserts. Every time he talked to his children, he said, "I love you." Known as Grandpa to his grandchildren, he was absolutely loved. He attended baseball games and other events that featured his grandkids. He even taught Theresa's boys how to play poker. He loved playing cards and he enjoyed his visits to Las Vegas throughout the years. When the kids were younger, he spent a lot of time at the racetrack in Los Alamitos. He taught the kids how to pick winners, as he was a very lucky gambler. Over the last ten years, his family celebrated his birthday each year in Las Vegas and it was wonderful. Mike also loved watching sporting events and he was a big fan of the Cincinnati Reds and Ohio State football and basketball. Mike particularly loved baseball, a passion he passed down to Johnny and Little Cathy. Everyone Mike met was a friend, because everyone was attracted to his kindness. He got a kick out of teasing family, as he had a dry sense of humor. Whenever he went out to dinner with the family, he always wanted to pay. He was prideful and a huge tipper who liked to pick up the tab. Very close to his children's spouses, he treated John's wife, Cathy, like another daughter, and he often sent his son-in-laws special Hallmark cards. He loved his entire family. He lived with Jackie's family for the last year and a half and it was a blessing. It was a blessing for her four kids to get to know him and love him even more. As he had nicknames for all of his children, he also gave the grandchildren nicknames. For fun, Mike often called Brock by the name of George. Mike never spent a day in the hospital, only one day in the emergency room. It was his wish to go home and his family honored his wishes and brought him home to Jackie's. His favorite person in the world was his brother, Bill, and it meant a lot to see him when he visited in his closing days. Bill loved him dearly and idolized his brother. Until the end, Mike was a fighter and he tried his hardest to get out of bed. He told his family, "I want peace," and that's what he got. His family will remember his smiling Irish eyes forever. Mike's purpose in life was to raise his family and lead by example and he did that beautifully. He was self-sacrificing for his kids and strangers alike. He lived his way by his own philosophy saying, "It's always better to give than receive." Mikel Thompson will be remembered as a generous, honorable man. His advice to everyone would be: Live with dignity, take care of each other, love each other, and keep the family united. His family will miss everything about him, especially his presence. As Mike grew up in the church, he believed in God. His family believes they will be reunited with him one day. With a deck of cards, a $2 certified bill, and a handkerchief in his pockets, Mike will be laid to rest next to his wife, Martha, at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Cypress. Mike will receive military honors and his American flag will be presented to his eldest daughter, Cathy, at graveside. May Mikel Thompson rest in peace. Mikel was preceded in death by his wife Martha and several siblings. He is loved and remembered by his children Cathy, Dottie, John, Theresa, Kelly, Tina, Marcelle, Cindy, Jackie, and Cathy; brother Bill; brother Bob; 28 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren and two on the way; extended family and friends.