Sylvan (Sy) Thompson went to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on July 23, 2015, in Rathdrum, Idaho. He was born on a farm in Sour Creek near Holmen, Wis., to Clifford and Edna (Peterson) Thompson on May 29, 1924. His family moved to town when he was quite young, but he never lost his country roots and he spent many hours with his Uncle Chester and Aunt Gladys on their farm driving their draft horses and doing farm chores.

He attended schools in La Crosse, Wis., and graduated from Logan High on June 4, 1942.

He was drafted during World War II and served in the 763rd Tank Battalion, attached to the 96th Infantry Division, for the invasion of Leyte (Philippine Islands) and Okinawa (Japan.) Sy received the Purple Heart for wounds received on Okinawa, April 4, 1945. A member of a Japanese suicide squad dove under the tank where he was sitting and detonated an explosive charge. It knocked out the tank and sent Sy to the hospital on Saipan for more than a month. He was honored for his service in 2011 when he and son Tom were fortunate enough to go on a Veterans Honor Flight to Washington, D.C.

Sy returned from overseas and married Avis Holter on Nov. 23, 1946. They moved to River Falls, Wis., where he enrolled at the University and they lived in a one-room trailer on a rented lot. He was happy when he found a place nearby to keep his horse! Their daughter, Jeanne, was born in River Falls and when he graduated with a degree in agriculture, he took a job in Marinette, Wis., teaching vocational and adult education, working mostly with dairy farmers.

In 1953 he moved his family to Idaho. The plan was to go to Spokane, Wash., but as they were driving through Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, he saw some spotted ponies in a field and stopped to get a closer look. The owner turned out to be the nephew of his mom's neighbor in La Crosse, Wis. At the urging of their new friend, Sy and Avis decided Coeur d'Alene would be their home.

Eventually they bought a 10-acre farm in Post Falls, Idaho, and he got a job at Kaiser Aluminum in the Spokane Valley as an electrical draftsman. He retired from there after 29 years. He and his wife, Avis, raised and showed Arabian Horses and Polled Herefords for many years and later added Percheron Draft Horses.

Bringing a Draft Horse Pull to the North Idaho Fair in Coeur d'Alene was his idea and he served as one of the Draft Horse Superintendents for more than 40 years. He used to show his Percherons at the fair but in recent years he could be found sitting in his same spot in the Draft Horse Barn. Many people came by just to say "HI" - they knew right where to find him! One of his pet projects connected with the fair was the Draft Horse Calendars. Many business owners looked forward to his visits each year and proudly displayed his calendars. When his Macular Degeneration advanced and he could no longer drive, he bummed a ride with whoever would take him so he could keep up with his project.

Sy and Lloyd Jones from Harrison were cofounders of the North Idaho Draft Horse and Mule Association and Sy served as the first president. He worked on the show and sale committees for the North Idaho International Draft Horse and Mule Show and Sale for many years. Up until four years ago, he proudly worked the "in-gate" during the show and he so looked forward to staying in the camper on the grounds with his son-in-law Ron Phay.

He served as president of the Post Falls PTA, the Inland Empire Arabian Club and the Kootenai County Saddle Club. That club brought the rodeo to Coeur d'Alene, and he was instrumental in building the grandstand that still stands at the fairgrounds.

Sy was a longtime member of Christ the King Lutheran Church in Coeur d'Alene and served on various boards as well as being Sunday School Superintendent. He was a man of great faith and knew that being a Christian was about having a relationship with Jesus - and not about following a set of "religious" rules. He even left specific instructions as to what hymns he wanted at his memorial service!

Along with raising horses and cows, Sy and Avis also had a variety of chickens, pigs, goats, rabbits, ducks and geese on their acreage. He was known to have put duck eggs under a banty hen - it was cute until the ducks camped out under the sprinklers and the hen became soaking wet and very perturbed!

Sy enjoyed gardening and was especially proud of his sweet corn! He supported his kids in 4-H and loved going to watch Tom and Phil wrestle when they were in high school. In later years he enjoyed visiting his grandchildren and went to as many of their sporting events and activities as he could. He wanted everyone to know he was "very proud of his grandchildren" and he was "pleased with them." For many summers he watched Ron, Phil and Jared play slow-pitch softball in Coeur d'Alene and for the past 12 years he was a regular at North Idaho College basketball games where his grandson, Jared Phay, was the men's basketball coach. Sy also enjoyed country music, especially old-time fiddlers.

Survivors include his wife, Avis; daughter Jeanne (Ron) Phay of Post Falls; son Tom (Sylvia) Thompson of Pullman, Wash.; and son Phillip (Taryn) of Rathdrum; grandchildren Jared Phay (Tamara) of Twin Falls, Idaho, USMC Sgt. Russell Thompson (Jordan) of Okinawa, Japan, Andrea Fink (Daniel) of San Diego, Calif., Christina Thompson of Pullman, JR Ramos of Burien, Wash., and Faith and Bailey Brodwater of Rathdrum; plus great-grandchildren, Carson, Makenzie and Colton Phay of Twin Falls. Also surviving is brother Gerald Thompson (Linda) of La Crosse; his 100-year-old Aunt Elva Schneider of La Crosse; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brother Warren, sister Dolly and her husband Walter Sheffer of Humbird, Wis.

Sylvan (Sy) Thompson was a loving and faithful husband to his wife, Avis, for 69 years.

He knew no strangers.

Sy's family wishes to thank the crew at Generations who loved and cared for him so well this last year and a half.

A celebration of his life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 15, 2015, at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Coeur d'Alene. Memorials may be made to the scholarship fund at Christ the King Lutheran as per his wishes.

"God gave us a Dad who was loving and kind: a better Dad would be hard to find."

And so we grieve at parting but not as those who have no hope as we know we will see him again...

You may view his online memorial at www.englishfuneralchapel.com.