By Ruth Storkel.
Here in Normandy Park, we are mourning the loss of city councilman, Earnest Thompson, who passed away on August 1, 2022. We offer our sincere condolences to the Thompson family. We want to tell you we appreciate the time and energy Earnest contributed to making this city a truly great place to live!
Good city council members are “watchmen on the wall” for our cities. They work diligently to ensure that their city prospers, flourishes, and makes responsible decisions.
Earnest Thompson was a man who cared about the well-being of Normandy Park and served his city in numerous ways. Besides serving as a city councilman, he also served the community in many other ways He was on the Parks Commission, Planning Commission, and the Seatac Airport Round Table committee, to name a few.
At the Normandy Park City Council Meeting on August 9, 2022, various people expressed: “we will truly miss Earnest.” There was a special time of recognition for him, beginning with a moment of silence. This was followed by council members and one citizen attendee expressing their appreciation for Mr. Thompson’s service.
Deputy Mayor West shared that he was very willing to help serve in a variety of ways. She remembers him handing out pumpkins during covid as Normandy Park citizens drove their cars by to pick them up; another time he carried banners in the Fourth of- July parade. He served with a smile because he really loved Normandy Park and wanted happiness for its residents.
Councilman Shawn McEvoy relayed that Earnest was a friend. He remembers that he was spirited, outspoken, passionate, and genuinely honest with people.
Mayor Sue-Ann Hohimer recalled one time during a turbulent meeting where she and Earnest were speaking with some disgruntled citizens; at one point Earnest spoke out, objecting to their attitudes, and said “Nobody talks to my mayor that way!”
Mr. Thompson was described as a “straight shooter” who spoke exactly what he thought. He cared about the environment and also was fiercely passionate about protecting his city. He was willing and unafraid to stand against the mainstream opinion when he had strong convictions about an issue. He was very knowledgeable about things going on in the city, how covid lockdowns affected the economy, and concerned about finances in unstable times. He asked good, thoughtful questions that made people think.
This was observed at a special city council meeting in February 2022, when the council was discussing a new proposed project. He came prepared, with a list of 7 questions he had complied with and asked himself, before supporting the project. He said, “It’s not just about city hall. It’s about financial stability, financial security, and the financial sustainability of Normandy Park. This is probably half of what drives my reasoning. “
He went on to further explain: “We don’t have all the data to make rational decisions. My legacy, if anything, is trying to protect this city financially. I’m Harry Truman……’ show me the money!’”
Mr. Thompson carefully studied situations, asked sensible questions, shared his wisdom and insight boldly, and participated openly and honestly in city council discussions. He believed he could not make good decisions if he did not have “all the facts”. He wanted data and sometimes would not commit to a project if he felt that “all the data was not in.”
He expressed a concern that the peoples voices were being heard by the council through letters they sent; he also cared about the senior citizens of Normandy Park regarding increased taxation.
Normandy Park was honored to have had a man who took his leadership role seriously, and who always wanted the best for the people of Normandy Park. He made a difference in our city, thank you, Mr. Thompson!
