Los Angeles County
Biographies
WILLIAM
(BILL) CLEO THOMPSON
Attending
six different factory schools to study the workings of various makes of
imported cars proved to make good business sense for William C. Thompson since
ninety-nine per cent of his clients at Bill Thompson Service at 2101 West
Valley Boulevard in Alhambra come in for mechanical work on foreign cars. His is the only independent imported car
garage in Alhambra, not an agency; he employs one mechanic who had factory
training in Germany. Mr. Thompson has
been in business for himself since 1958, his wide experience making him a
mechanical specialist in imported cars.
He moved to his present location in August, 1961, where he handles both
parts and service and also picks up and delivers for the convenience of his
patrons.
Bill
Thompson, one of the six children of Johnnie Tad and Ruby (Richey) Thompson,
both native Texans who are presently living in Indio, was born on January 22,
1922, in Snyder, Texas. One of his
sister’s lives in Alhambra and one is San Gabriel. A brother resides in Beaumont, California,
and another is a resident of El Paso, Texas.
After attending elementary and high school in Holtville, California,
Bill Thompson had various jobs before entering the United States Army in
December, 1942. A sergeant at the time
of his discharge in 1946, Mr. Thompson was stationed in England for three
years. His job was transportation and
distribution of supplies and equipment to various bases.
While
in England Mr. Thompson met his wife, the former Miss B. Audrey Skinner, a
young Englishwoman, whom he married on September 4, 1945. Mrs. Thompson came to California from England
on March 7, 1947, with their son who was 9 months old. He had his wife’s sister, Maureen Skinner,
who was orphaned at the age of eleven, flown to this country by herself in
February, 1955, to Alhambra where she became a member of the Thompson
family. She is now attending Mark Keppel
High School. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson are
the parents of a son, William Darryl, who also attends Mark Keppel High School
and is active in sports. He played three
years of little league and three years of Babe Ruth baseball. The Thompson’s attend Christ Lutheran Church
in Monterey Park; their residence is at 1300 East Ross Avenue in Alhambra.
When
Mr. Thompson returned to the United States in 1947, he began to acquire
experience in his present field, working for Light Car Motors in Hollywood, on
imported cars, and after two years going to Angel Motors in Pasadena. In 1953 he worked for Import Motors in
Monterey Park, which moved to Alhambra the following year under the name of
Koop Foreign Cars. Mr. Thompson stayed
with that firm as service manager until starting his own business, Bill
Thompson Auto Repair Service at 218 West
Garvey, in 1958. Later that year he
moved his business to Beaumont for several months, then moved to South Pasadena
at Garfield and Huntington where he remained until acquiring his present
location in 1961.
Favorite
diversions for Mr. Thompson are sightseeing and travelling.
Transcribed
by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Historical Volume &
Reference Works Including Alhambra, Monterey Park, Rosemead, San Gabriel &
Temple City, by Robert P. Studer, Pages 432-433,
Historical Publ., Los Angeles, California.
1962.
© 2012 V.
Gerald Iaquinta.
GOLDEN NUGGET'S LOS ANGELES
BIOGRAPHIES