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Richard D. Thompson ’76

Richard D. Thompson ’76, March 9, 2005, in Wendell, Idaho, from complications following surgery. Rick transferred to Reed from the College of Idaho, and earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. Following graduation, he traveled around the world, acquiring fluency in French and Spanish in the process. He continued to travel throughout his life. In New York City in 1977, he began his formal teaching career and also did tutoring. In 1987, he received a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University, was a freelance writer for several New York-based magazines, and a full-time staff writer for Meeting News. In 1991 he moved to Southern California with his roommate, Jim Glass, and resumed his teaching career in elementary schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District. He moved to the Oakland public schools as a fifth grade teacher in 1997. Rick is remembered for his “intense engagement with the world around him, and his lifelong capacity for joy, energy, and caring.” Survivors include his mother, stepfather, and sister.

Appeared in Reed magazine: August 2005

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