Roy D. Thompson, 77

Roy D. Thompson of Hayden, Idaho, passed away Nov. 3, 2026, surrounded by his loving wife, Barb; daughter Cher (Sean); son Brett (Charity); grandchildren: Mason (Michaela), Breanna (Dusten), Ashley (Troy); sister, Marlys; and nieces and nephews.

Roy, age 77, was born Feb. 27, 1949, in Stanley, N.D., to Truman and Ruth Thompson. He grew up in White Earth, N.D., and graduated from Tioga High School and enlisted in the U.S. Navy shortly after. He served a tour in Vietnam. After the military, he attended SCC and earned a certification in Airframe — in essence, he would build airframes and powerplants for aircraft. 

Roy married Barbara Swanson in Powers Lake, N.D., on Aug. 10, 1968. They welcomed two wonderful children, Cher (1971) and Brett (1976). They were blessed with grandchildren: Mason (Michaela), Breanna (Dusten), and Ashley (Troy); great-grandchildren: Harrison, Carter, and Sawyer, who kept him young at heart. Roy and his family lived in many states and finally settled in Hayden, Idaho, where they lived for the past 50+ years. 

His hobbies included: golf, woodworking, scratching lottery tickets, and talking to everyone, whether they knew each other or not. No one was ever a stranger to him and he could talk to anyone. 

He was preceded in death by his loyal K-9 companion, Riley, his mother and father, and two of his five siblings.

Please join us for a gathering of friends and family to celebrate Roy from 3 to 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 16, 2026, at Yates Funeral Home — Hayden Gathering Center, 373 E. Hayden Ave., Hayden, ID 83835. Please visit Roy’s online memorial and sign his guestbook at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com.

    Thompson