Gene T. Thompson of Lompoc died Tuesday, June 19, 2012, at the age of 87. Gene was born January 31, 1925, in Jerome, Idaho to Antoine and Irene Thompson.

Gene was raised and educated in Hailey, Idaho. He graduated from the University of Oregon with a master's degree before earning a PhD at Oregon State University.

Formerly of Los Altos Gene has been a resident of Lompoc since 1968. He was a senior scientist and mathematician at the Space and Missile Test Center in the Performance Analysis Department for 20 years. After his retirement he taught mathematics for Chapman College at the Federal Corrections Institute. Gene was an active member of Calvary Baptist Church and served as a deacon and later as an elder. He was a member of the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics and the Association for Computing Machinery.

Gene recently celebrated 59 years of marriage to his wife Betty, who now survives him. Gene is also survived by his son and daughter-in-law Daniel and Cheryl Ann Thompson of Elk Grove, daughter and son-in-law Kathryn Ann and Mark Thompson of Visalia, daughter and son-in-law Christine and Robert Garrison of Shasta, daughter and son-in-law Sheryl Lynn and Jeffrey Johnson of Lompoc, 12 grandchildren, four great grandchildren and his brother Larry Thompson of Salem, Oregon.

The memorial service will be on Saturday, June 30, at 1:30 pm at Calvary Baptist Church followed by a reception at the church. Cremation will be followed by inurnment in the Lompoc Evergreen Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to World Venture in memory of Gene Thompson for Jim Cummings missionary to China. Donations may be sent to Calvary Baptist Church, 3355 Constellation Road, Lompoc, CA 93436.