Obituary - Kenneth "Ken" Leroy Thompson

Kenneth "Ken" Leroy Thompson, age 61, passed away peacefully the morning of August 31, 2021, at St. Peter's Hospital in Helena, MT after a courageous four-year battle with cancer.

Ken was born in Havre, MT, February 5, 1960, to Charlotte Louise and Thomas Fielding Thompson. He was the fourth of his mother's eight children. Ken was 4 years old when his dad passed away. After his mother remarried, the family moved to Helena, MT, when Ken was 7 years old. He continued his school age years in Helena.

In 1979, he met his future wife, Marla Smith, and they were married July 1984. They had five children and later divorced. During this time Ken completed welding and machine shop trade school at Helena Vo Tech.

Ken began coaching AAU wrestling when his oldest son, Brandon, got involved in wrestling. As the years continued, he really developed a true love for coaching. His younger son, Britton, started wrestling at 3 years old and the family moved to Townsend, MT and Ken became the head coach of the AAU/USA Townsend Wrestling Club. Years later, he organized and started the USA Cobra Montana Wrestling Club. Ken built his club and took his team to be one of the top teams in the state of MT competing at the national level. He coached several kids to national championships and a first ever junior national triple crown winner. Through the years Ken coached wrestling and became a strong influence in many kids' lives with his love for the sport and truly changed the game of wrestling in Montana.

Ken loved hunting, fishing, gardening, and working with his horses. He also loved to irrigate and put up hay on his small farm in Townsend. From an early age, he loved the Dallas Cowboys and passed the love of the team to all his children. Many Sunday and Monday nights he spent watching football together with his children. He had a love for all sports and thoroughly enjoyed watching and supporting his children in their sports and activities. Ken had many passions, but the love of his life were his children and grandchildren. They brought so much joy into his life and made many memories with them over the years. Ken proudly spent 21 years running the welding shop for Diamond Construction in Helena, MT.

Ken was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas and Charlotte.

He is survived by his sons, Brandon (Jamie) Thompson, Britton (Darian) Thompson, his daughters, Kamae (Kiff) Meier, Kansys Thompson, all of Townsend, and Kyndra Thompson of Post Falls, ID; siblings, Walter Thompson, Wayne (Vicki) Dion, John Jirsa, Tammie (Gary) Berg, Veronica Hinkle, Suzanne Hall, all of Helena, MT, and Barbara Hands of Missoula, MT; grandchildren, Mercedes, Memphys, Wyatt, Whitney, Ayden, Olivielle, Meridan and Kenny;, a great-grandchild, Camree, and many nieces and nephews. Meridan was Ken's little "cancer" girl and always helped him stay positive and strong through his cancer treatments.

Ken's love for life and his hard-working positive attitude along with all the wonderful memories will live on in his children and grandchildren. He is now "Living the Dream" up in Heaven with Jesus, his mom, dad and his beloved German shepherds Jackson and Kane.

Ken's family would like to thank all the staff at St. Peter's Hospital for the compassionate care they provided him over the past four years and to Diamond Construction for all the support they have given him and his family.

Please visit http://www.aswfuneralhome.com to offer a condolence to the family or to share a memory of Ken.

A Celebration of Life will be held Friday, September 17, at Anderson Stevenson Wilke Funeral Home in Helena MT at 4:00pm with a reception to follow. The service will also be broadcasted lLive if you are unable to attend.