The Venerable William Edward Thompson -1933-2000

A Renaissance Man

William Edward Thompson was born in Alice Town, Eleuthera to William Edward (deceased) and Corene Hutcheson Thompson.  His grandfather was the late Rev’d Gilbert Thompson who pastored in New York and at St. John’s and Metropolitan Baptist Churches in New Providence.  One of his uncles was the late Rev’d Dr. H. W. Brown, pastor of Bethel Baptist Church, New Providence.  Archdeacon Thompson was followed into the Priesthood by his brother, The Rt. Rev. Gilbert A. Thompson (retired).  Their younger brother is Dr. Philip Thompson.

William Edward attended the St. Agnes Day School, the Western Preparatory and Junior Schools and, he was among the first group of students to enter St. John’s College when the school opened in 1947.  Upon graduation from St. John’s College he was briefly employed at the Parcel Post Office.

Having served around the altar at St. Agnes from a very early age, where he and many other sons of the parish were nurtured by the late Canons George Loran Pyfrom and Milton Edward Cooper, William had early aspirations to the Priesthood.  He entered Codrington College, Barbados in 1952 and obtained a Second Class Honours Degree in Theology from the University of Durham, England.   He also earned a Masters Degree in Theology from the University of Durham.

On 21st December 1956 he was made a Deacon at St. Michael’s Cathedral, Barbados, and 21st December 1957 he was ordained to the Sacred Priesthood at Christ Church Cathedral, Nassau by Bishop Spence Burton.  He was appointed Diocesan Missioner and traveled throughout The Bahamas in this capacity.  He served as Priest in Charge of Exuma from 1958 – 1961.  In 1961 he returned to New Providence and was posted as at his alma mater, St. John’s College, where he taught, Latin, English and Religious Knowledge. 

In 1967 he succeeded Canon Milton Cooper as Rector of St. Agnes.  Archdeacon Thompson retired as Rector of St. Agnes in December 1999, after having served the Parish for 32 years.

On 26th April 1968 he married the former Rosemarie Bailey, whom he appreciated for her tremendous support in his duties as Rector of St. Agnes as well as his wider responsibilities in the Diocese and worldwide.  

During his tenure at St. Agnes he was made a Canon of the Cathedral, Archdeacon, Vicar General and Sub-Dean of the Cathedral.

His other appointments and honours were:
• Bishops Examining Chaplain
• Chairman of the Anglican Central Education Authority
• Provincial Synod Representative Anglican Council – Province of the West Indies.
• Member of the Anglican Consultative Council for the Worldwide Anglican Communion
• Member of Public Disclosure Committee – The Commonwealth of The Bahamas
• Made an officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire

“Father Willie”, as he was affectionately called by many, was a brilliant scholar with an insatiable thirst for knowledge.   He was a scholar in Greek, Latin, Hebrew, and World Church History.  He was a widely read historian of the highest order, who could expound upon any topic whether it was religion, politics, world history or sports. 

He was an avid sports enthusiast and he often sat through cricket matches at the Bahamas Cricket Club where he was chaplain.   In 1995 the softball field in the park just North of St. Agnes Church, and bordered by Baillou Hill Road, Cockburn and Market Streets, was renamed the Archdeacon William E. Thompson Softball Field. 

Following the example of Canon Milton Cooper, Archdeacon Thompson nurtured a number of young men, including the late Brian Colebrooke, Keith Cartwright, Laish Boyd, I. Ranfurly Brown, Andrew Toppin, Tyrone McKenzie, Charles Simmons and Roland Hamilton, who also entered the Priesthood.

Archdeacon Thompson was a true Bahamian patriot, who appreciated all things Bahamian.    He spent most of his life in the Grant’s Town area – at his boyhood home at the corner of Market and Hay Streets, at St. Agnes Church, as a master at St. John’s College and at the St. Agnes rectory, top of the hill, Market Street.  

Sadly, a few months after his retirement, Archdeacon Thompson was shot by an intruder at the rectory, and he succumbed to his injuries a few weeks later in June 2000.

Links to:

Photo Essay Of Funeral by Peter Ramsay:
http://www.fredmitchelluncensored.com/Thompson%20Funeral.htm

The Jamaica Gleaner - "Farewell to a Great Bahamian" by Errol Miller
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20000713/Cleisure/Cleisure3.html