Thompson
A Clark-Pleasant Community School Corp. board member recently passed away.
Dave Thompson, Pleasant Township’s representative on the school board, passed away Monday. Thompson has served on the board since 2020 and was unopposed for reelection in November.
School officials say Thompson’s legacy with the school community is much richer than his time on the board.
He was “a man who was passionate about and fought for the constant improvement of educational opportunities in this school corporation. His mission was first and foremost to prepare our students for life but as a full-time teacher and coach for 40 years, he also spoke up for the rights of teachers, administrators, and Clark-Pleasant families,” statement from school administrators says.
Thompson had a long history of involvement with Clark-Pleasant before winning a school board seat. He taught at Clark-Pleasant Middle School for 39 years and coached high school wrestling and football for 40 years. He is a member of the Indiana Wrestling Hall of Fame and coached four wrestling state champions during his tenure as coach.
The administration and the school board send thoughts and prayers to the Thompson family as they deal with the loss of their husband, father, and grandfather, the statement says.
“I will miss Dave Thompson. If you looked in the dictionary under ‘educator,’ Dave’s name would be there,” Timothy Edsell, superintendent said in a statement on his passing. “He was a teacher, coach, mentor and board member but most of all he was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. No one loved Clark-Pleasant Schools more than Dave Thompson.”
Fellow board member and friend for 50 years, Butch Zike said all of Dave’s students thought the world of him. Board members will miss his “common sense.”
“Dave’s goals were not based on winning and losing but on making a kid’s life better,” Zike said in a statement.
Dave leaves behind his wife, Susan, a long-time English teacher at Whiteland Community High School, and two daughters, Brooke and Brette. Brooke teaches English at WCHS and serves as president of The Clark-Pleasant Education Association. Brette previously taught biology at WCHS and now lives with her family in Fort Wayne.
Thompson also leaves behind Isabella, Eleanor and Vivian, his granddaughters.
For more information see his obituary.
Editor’s note: Several corrections were made to the school district’s original statement.
