Rash's Surname Index
Notes for John V. THOMPSON
John V. Thompson, 82, formerly of North Wales, who rose from humble beginnings to become an engineer and manufacturer, died Tuesday, Aug. 4, of congestive heart failure at Normandy Farms Estates, where he had lived for three years.
In 1972, Mr. Thompson, along with three friends, founded Pennsylvania Research Associates (PRA), a company that made business machinery. The Countess, the firm's signature product, is a currency counter still in use in banks and other outfits that handle a large volume of cash.
In 1975, PRA was sold to Brandt Inc. of Watertown, Wis. Mr. Thompson stayed on as general manager and later executive vice president of the currency division, working from an office in Fort Washington.
During his tenure at PRA and Brandt, he traveled widely, helping introduce the counting machines to the global banking community. He retired in 1988.
The youngest of five children, Mr. Thompson was born in Philadelphia to Gilbert H. and May W. Speakman Thompson. His early years were spent in Fishtown. In 1940, when he was 7, his father died of complications from injuries he had sustained in World War I.
Without a breadwinner and suffering from the effects of the Great Depression, the family had little choice but to enroll Mr. Thompson in Girard College, the school for fatherless boys established by Stephen Girard.
Mr. Thompson lived there and was educated there. He graduated in January 1950 with 50 classmates who would remain lifelong friends.
He joined the Naval Reserve in Willow Grove and served for eight years. During this time, Mr. Thompson attended Temple University and then Drexel Institute of Technology.
In 1958, he graduated from Drexel with a degree in mechanical engineering. After obtaining his engineering license, he began his career at Philco Corp. in Philadelphia.
Along the way, he met Alma June Spicer from Olney. The two married and had two sons.
After earning his master's degree in business administration from Drexel and spending 12 years at Philco, Mr. Thompson joined Information Technology Inc. (ITI), a company that made a cash register picturing items for purchase. The register was used by Gino's Hamburgers, a fast-food restaurant chain founded by then-Baltimore Colts defensive end Gino Marchetti.
In retirement, the Thompsons enjoyed travel, watching their sons' sports and activities, summers in Ocean City, N.J., and winters in Florida. In October 1998, after 40 years of marriage, his wife died of a heart attack while walking upstairs. He was devastated but determined to endure.
"That was my dad, he only moved forward," said son John V. Jr. "He overcame obstacles, and there were plenty of them. I'm proud he was my dad."
For the last 14 years, he was the companion of Doris McKenna. They enjoyed his grandchildren, seeing the world, and sharing laughs with neighbors and friends.
Mr. Thompson also loved golfing, woodworking, reading the newspaper on his veranda, church activities, and fixing anything that was broken.
Besides his son and his companion, he is survived by another son, Matthew S., and five grandchildren.
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