John Robert "Bob" Thompson, 80, passed away on April 26, 2021. At Northern Arizona University Bob majored in geology, with minors in biology and forestry. His postgraduate schooling was at various universities, including Northern Arizona, Penn State, New Mexico State and Farliegh Dickinson. He devoted his working life to education as a university and college faculty member, teaching Earth Systemsgeology, biology, meteorology, oceanography, hydrology and environmental studies. As he put it, he got to talk to others about the Earth and its systems and got paid for it, a win/win.



Bob was a member of Sigma Gamma Epsilon (national honorary society in the Earth sciences), and was certified by the American Institute of Professional Geologists, and the states of Arizona, Indiana, and Alaska.



Bob was part of the founding faculty at Glendale Community College in Arizona, teaching geology there from 1968 to 2006. He was Chair of GCC Physical Sciences Dept. in 1987-2000. He was also on the founding faculties at Rio Salado Community College and at the new west campus of  ASU from 1989 to 2006. Bob retired from teaching in 2006 with Emeritus status.



As a Forestry minor with experience fighting fires in Arizona, Bob decided to stay with their Vallecito home through the 2002 Missionary Ridge Fire (38 days, 70,000+ acres). Afterward he wrote a book, "FIRE STORY: Vallecito Burning A Personal Account of the 2002 Missionary Ridge Fire," to share his experiences. Bob also was indirectly involved with the first lunar landing. While at NAU, he worked as a Technician and Field Assistant for the U.S. Geological Survey and NASA at the new Division of Astrogeology in Flagstaff. He collated lunar orbiter photos in preparation for others picking the site for the landing, and training astronauts for studying the lunar surface at Meteor Crater in Arizona and the San Francisco Volcanic Field.

Bob is survived by his wife, Janis, a sister, a daughter and son, and eight grandchildren. Memorial services were held on May 1, 2021 at Desert Palms Ward 8602 North 31st Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85051-3924. For those wishing to make memorial donations, we suggest a donation in his name to the Nature Conservancy . (Source: ASU Foundation)