In Memory of Morris Thompson.

• Author: KANE, ROGER
• Position: Brief Article - Obituary

Friends Pay Tribute to Native Leader

When Alaska Airlines flight 261 crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California Jan. 31, all 88 people aboard lost their lives. Among them were three Alaskans.

Native leader Morris Thompson and his wife of 37 years, Thelma, along with their 33-year-old daughter, Sheryl, perished in the crash. The Thompsons were returning from a trip to Mexico where they celebrated Morris' retirement from Doyon Ltd.

When news of the ill-fated flight made its way back to Alaska, friend and confidant Bill Allen of Doyon Properties was devastated.

"Morrie and I have been friends for more than 30 years," Allen said. "His death is a great loss personally and a great loss to the state of Alaska. The best of Morris Thompson was yet to come."

"Everything I touch here at work has memories of Morris," Allen said. "But it makes it easier knowing the Thompsons had so many friends."

While time will eventually ease the pain of losing such a close friend, Allen is not so sure that will happen any time soon.

By all accounts, Thompson was one of Alaska's most prominent Native leaders.

"He was a bridge builder. He was a man who really lived his purpose in life to be a bridge between Native and non-Native peoples," said Pamela Younker, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce.

"His death is a tragic loss to everyone. It will take years for the community to get over," she said.

Younker had worked with Thompson for 13 years and credits him with teaching her to look beyond people's differences to emphasize the things they have in common.

"He really made a difference in the lives of the people in the Interior," she said. "He made decisions inclusive of all people, not just one group."

The Thompsons were living in Fairbanks at the time of their...