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People SearchFind an individual who either played a sport or was a member of a support group. Search by last name by clicking on the first letter of the person's last name.
Mr. Tim Thompson
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Home Phone: 859-873-2552 The information below was submitted by Tim for the 2001 Shipley Reunion and is now serving as his Living Memorial for the Beryl Shipley Tribute. Basketball team member, 1957-1961 Married: Children: I attended Lafayette High School in Lexington, KY. We won the state high school tournament my senior year, 1957. Our star player and Kentucky Mr. Basketball, Billy Ray Lickert, went to the University of Kentucky and did well there playing for Adolph Rupp. None of the other four starters were recruited to any extent. I considered walking on at Transylvania in Lexington, but they didn’t offer engineering so I would have probably ended up at Kentucky and not playing any college ball. Sometime in the summer of 1957 the Frankfort High School coach called me. He said he needed ten players for a scrimmage so a new coach from Louisiana could look at a 6′ 8″ boy from Waddy named Nelson Moore. I had nothing better to do and decided to play. After the scrimmage I talked briefly with Coach Shipley and I believe he gave me some curriculum information. I don’t recall when he actually asked me if I would be interested in going to SLI. Since SLI offered engineering and Coach Shipley offered me a chance to play college basketball. I thought this was an opportunity I shouldn’t pass up. I’m not sure Coach believed I would show up until I got to Lafayette and called him to come pick me up at the TRAIN station. (After a 27 hour ride!) Coach may have a different story than this and I hope I get to hear it. If I remember correctly, we started practicing immediately. (There were no restrictions at that time). I was quite intimidated with the returning players from Coach Reinhardt’s last team (McKeller, Bramlett, Duke, Reaux, Adkins) and the three boys from Ashland, KY (Humphreys, Church and Griffith), and Moreau from Lawtell who averaged 40 points a game in high school. However, after we started playing and got to know everyone better, I found out that we could all play together. By our first game my Freshman year, I was actually on the starting team and from that time on I started every game that was played for four years (102 games, I believe). Also, I don’t think I ever fouled out of a game? My senior year I was honored to make NAIA All-American. Also made All GSC a couple times, in the USL Athletic Hall of Fame and was an honoree at the Top 28 state tournament a few years ago. Some single game memories that come to mind: –Hitting winning basket against Loyola I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from USL in May 1957. Moved to Seattle, WA to work for Boeing, continued school, and received a Master of Science in Civil Engineering in March 1964. Moved to Fort Worth, TX to work for General Dynamics and in 1966 we moved back to Lexington, KY. Went back to school and received Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Kentucky in May 1976. I have been in private practice of engineering and surveying for 25 years. I have my own firm and my son works with me: I feel proud to have been one of the first recruits of Coach Shipley and to be on the first teams that started a winning tradition at SLI, USL and now UL Lafayette. We had winning records all four years and we even got some high rankings in the polls. The biggest regret is that we didn’t have a chance to play in any post-season tournaments because we were not allowed to play against teams with black players. I feel like it was a real honor and privilege to play for Coach Shipley and I have no regrets for the education I received from USL. I am forever thankful for the chance Coach took on me and how those events over forty years ago have a cherished place in my memories. How thankful I am for I look at the memorials and realize that five of those individuals were with me during my years at USL! Submitted in 2001 for the Shipley Reunion. * * * * * Children: Trent, 1968 (Donna), Lexington, KY: Architecture, U. TN.; Works with me in engineering and surveying Trista, 1981 (Jason), Louisville, KY: Masters Degree from Savannah College of Art and Design: does free-lance graphic design: Jack 7, Jay 4, Jude and Stella 18 months; Tiffany, 1984 (Alex), Blacksburg, VA: Masters degree from U. KY. in Sustainable Agriculture: expecting son in Feb. 2018. I am still in private practice with my son Trent doing mostly surveying and some engineering. I have been County Surveyor for 12 years, but it’s only a title and does not provide any work! In 2004 I thought it would be a good idea to develop property and build. I bought 25+ acres, surveyed the property, did a zone change and development plan for 80 units, did the subdivision construction plans, subdivision plats, construction plans for the units, managed construction and sold 8 units–then around 2007 the bottom fell out. The bank would not loan me any more money and I could not pay the interest on what I had borrowed. I made a deal with the bank to avoid bankruptcy. Lost the development and some investment property, but I was able to keep my home, my office, two lots at Cave Run Lake, and a 17 acre rural property just 10 miles from our home. So I survived that recession and am still busy as ever without the headaches. I’m not mechanical minded, but I do have admiration for old automobiles. Several years ago my sister’s husband passed away. He was a collector of old cars. I was able to purchase a 1913 Buick from her. Also a few years ago I added a 1963 Oldsmobile Cutlass to my stable. I enjoy driving the Buick in parades (but not too far!) and the Olds anywhere on weekends. In 2009 my wife had a surprise 70th birthday celebration for me. Several family members and “old friends”. I have attached a poem(?) my friend Nick Stamatis wrote and read. (go figur) From the way Coach Shipley and my paths crossed in the summer of 1957 is a remarkable mystery. I feel proud to be one of Coach’s first recruits and to play on those first four teams. I regret not being close to Lafayette and to share time with him over the years. Nick’s poem written and recited on Tim’s 70th birthday is enclosed below. Nick Stamatis’s poem to Tim Thompson on his 70th Birthday March 15, 2009 70 Year’s of Strangeness—-and what wasn’t strange was weird: When ole Tim was born, When we roomed together, I remember about mid semester, I told that guy the truth, And traveling with ole Tim, He has strange habits, It all goes along with Even his eyes are weird, A sad sack appearance, With a hobby as weird, And the anal attention He can spent hours and hours Way past his prime, Speaking of money and such, But he did get lucky, I finally figured out Your friend forever, __/l__
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