40th Wedding Anniversary Hawaiian Tour for Gary & Patty Thompson (my brother & sister-in-law)

Gary & Patty Thompson on Hawaiian Second Honeymoon Tour

Forty years ago today (February 17, 1968, in Glen Ellyn, Illinois) my brother Gary Thompson and Patricia (Patty) Murrary wed to become Gary and Patty Thompson. They’ve stayed that way for 40 years. That’s no small feat in today’s fast-dissolving-of-everything world.

They’ve founded a family of 3 children and 4 grandchildren (see Family Ties, below). Of all three of my parents’ children, my brother is the most stable and conventional, and keeps on earning those Eagle Scout Merit Badges helping out everyone in the family. He could not have chosen a more perfectly-suited woman to be his wife than Patty.

Congratulations to you both!

He’s been sending us a steady stream of photos from their month-long Hawaiian 2nd Honeymoon Tour. Here are a few, along with my brother’s commentary. —JGR
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ALOHA!

We spent yesterday viewing and hiking the Wiamea canyon area. We went on what was supposed to be an easy hike to see twin waterfalls. When we arrived close to the end, I got the picture of the falls at their starting point. We didn’t descend the final, almost vertical drop, to the base of the real falls. The other pictures were from the beach in front of our place we are staying on Kauai.There has been a lot of rain but other than that it sure has been a perfect vacation. The rain has brought BEAUTIFUL single and double rainbows.

The monk seal has been at the beach since we got here Saturday. He is molting and they just seem to rest and roll around in the rocks for a few weeks while that is happening, from what we have been told.

Monk Seal Sign (photo by Gary Thompson)

Monk Seal on Beach (look closely…underneath the cover of sand) Photo by Gary Thompson

The family ties run down like this: Patty Thompson is the daughter of Grace Murray of Aurora, Colorado, and the late Ernest Murray. Gary Thompson is the son of Erwin Thompson of Godfrey, Illinois and the late Ruth Thompson.

Gary and Patty Thompson are the parents of three children, Janean Baird (husband, Mike) of Bloomington, David Thompson (wife, Lori) of Normal and Sarah Wilson (husband, Jeremy) of Cottonwood, Arizona.

Gary and Patty have four grandchildren. Gary and Patty are both retired from Jacksonville, Illinois School District 117. Patty taught for 22 years in Washington, Jefferson and North schools, and Gary taught vocational subjects for 33 years at Jacksonville High School, and headed the Industrial Arts Department.

Sail in the Sunset (Photo by Gary Thompson)