Obituary:

Gary E. Thompson , 64, who served in the Wilson and Lockport school districts through five decades as teacher, principal and administrator, died Thursday (Nov. 30, 2000) in InterCommunity Memorial Hospital, Newfane.

Thompson , who also was president of the InterCommunity Memorial Hospital's board of directors, died after a brief illness.

Born in Gasport, he attended Roy-Hart School. He obtained bachelor's and master's degrees from Buffalo State Teachers College before joining the Wilson School District as a teacher in 1959.

In 1965, he became principal of Lockport's Emmett Belnap School. He later served as principal at North Park School and Lockport Senior High School and then joined the administration, retiring in 1993 as assistant superintendent.

He was a former officer of the Wilson Lions Club and past president of the Western New York Retrievers Club.

He is survived by his wife, the former Sallie Shimshack; three sons, Jim of Lockport, Douglas and Tom, both of Wilson ; two daughters, Cheryl Shaw of Burt and Margaret of Wilson ; a sister, Barbara Jamieson of Middleport; a brother, Philip of Lockport; 11 grandchildren and stepgrandchildren.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 11 a.m. Monday in St. Bridget's Catholic Church, 3455 Ewings Road, Newfane. Burial will be in Hartland Central Cemetery.