Hundreds pay their final respects to ‘an educator's educator'

He was an educator's educator, a family man and a good friend.

That's how colleagues eulogized Kenneth Thomson, a coach, teacher and administrator who served Fremont Public Schools from 1965 to 1998.

Thomson, 65, died from cancer Sept. 2 at his home in Fremont. He was buried Friday in Ridge Cemetery following a funeral at the First United Methodist Church. The service drew hundreds of mourners, including many educators who worked with Thomson during his 42-year career.

Jodean Bridges, retired Fremont High School English teacher, said she was “honored and humbled” to recall Thomson, her former principal.

“His vision for education was absolutely unequaled,” Bridges said. “He was an educator's educator.”

A Wayne State College graduate, Thomson received his master's degree and doctorate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. While at FPS, he instituted peer coaching and block scheduling at Fremont High School, served on a national school reform committee under former U.S. Secretary of Education William Bennett and received the Distinguished Service Award from the Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals Executive Board, among other positions and awards.

Despite his accomplishments, Thomson was not one to draw attention to himself, Bridges said.

“He made everyone else feel special,” she said. “He was there to get the very best out of us and he got it ... he always took us forward, he always took us to a better place. And he always praised our achievement, even though it was really his.”

Bridges said Thomson could probably organize the angels in heaven.

“Improving their flying skills,” she said, “and making them think it was their idea.”

In all the years she knew Thomson, Bridges said, she only saw him flustered once - when he arrived at an educational workshop in Iowa and learned he was to be the keynote speaker the following day.

“Someone had forgotten to call him,” Bridges said, adding Thomson sequestered himself in his room, composed and delivered a stellar address the next day.

Gerry Gdowski, FHS football coach and business teacher during Thomson's tenure, said his administrator was proud of being a native of Chambers, population 300.

“Ken told me he was All-City in football and basketball,” Gdowski said, drawing chuckles from the congregation.

Gdowski said Thomson brought to the FHS faculty his enthusiasm for the Instructional Theory into Practice teaching model developed by UCLA professor Madeline Hunter.

“He modeled instructional education as he taught it,” Gdowski said. “You could see it was going to work. He was so enthusiastic, it was contagious. Consequently, we bought into it.”

Thomson received an Outstanding Administrators Award from the Nebraska State Band Masters Association, was selected for a national study of leadership styles by Missouri University, and served as adjunct professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha from 1998 to 2004.

Respected by his peers, Thomson was also a family man, leaving a wife, Sandy; two sons, Brian K. Thomson of Fremont and Chris (and wife, Amy) Thomson of Hooper; three sisters, Judy (and husband, Dale) Adams of York, Susan (and husband, Cliff) Palmer of Albion and Jeanie (and husband, Ted) Husar of Fremont; and two grandchildren.

With the help of those family members, Gdowski recounted how Thomson, from the confines of his hospital bed, arranged a special surprise for his wife.

After nursing staff lured Sandy from the room, family members snuck in with a puppy and placed it beneath Thomson's blankets. When Sandy returned to the room, the blankets rustled and the pup's head poked out from the covers.

“Believe me, (Sandy) was very surprised,” said Gdowski. “That was something Ken could do, in the end, for her.”

If Thomson was to be measured by the number of lives he influenced, “he has to be in anyone's Top Five, if not Number One,” Gdowski said. “He's my No. 1. I'll always remember Ken.”

A memorial in Thomson's name has been established to the Fremont Public School Foundation. FPS superintendent Steve Sexton said the Friday closing of Fremont High School was the first time the facility had closed all day to allow administrators, faculty and staff to attend a funeral service.

Linden Elementary School also closed for the day to allow those employees to pay their respects. A shortage of substitute teachers, combined with the number of Linden administrators and staff attending the service, figured in that decision, Sexton said.