of New York, who were in Ecuador

Transcription

1 ,, -Raleigh~ victim of air crash m1etl from page la was enjoying himself very much." wreck was the latest in a se- Marvin Sparks, ~ longtime f family tragedies. church member, said Tuesd~y About a month ago, a mudslide that he had once. spoken with destroyed all their possessions, Thompson before his move to Ec Coffey said. Then Mrs. Thompson uador and the couple's three children "He was definitely looking for had to return to the United States ward to it," Sparks said. "He verj when she became ill with pneumo- much wanted to go into mission nia, work. He was very excited about. Thompson, who had remained in going." Ecuador, was flying to a confer- The other four Americans identience in another part of the country fied as victims of the crash were l when the crash occurred, Coffey J~ph, Leonard and Nelly Kelly I said. of New York, who were in Ecuador "It's been a very lragic kind of visiting friends; and Jesus thing," Coffey said. "He had pre- Guevara, a naturalized U.S. citipared his whole life to do this. He zen born~ Sp~. \\... I

2 T.EL. (919) NEWS & OBSERVER RALEIGH, N. C. D-130,000 S-160,000 JUL 13 '-13. ;')..CJ /., \ Ex-Raleigh man victim of air crash By BILL KRUEGER " Staff Writer A former Raleigh resident was among five Americans who died in the fiery crash Monday of an Ecuadorian airliner. Roger Thompson, a Baptist missionary stationed in Quito, Ecuador, was identified by the U.S. Embassy as one of the 119 victims. Thompson had worked in Raleigh as a staff representative recruiting and training missionaries for the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, said Dr. Cecil A. Ray, general secretary for the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. Thompson moved to Ecuador about l lf.i years ago. Thompson, who lived on Havenwood Drive in Raleigh for several years, was a member of the New Hope Baptist Church on Louisburg Road. "He was just a splendid young man," said the Rev. Jack Coffey of New Hope Baptist Church. "He was very active in the church." Coffey said Thompson, who was in his late 20s or early 30s, was the father of two girls, ages 3 and 8, and a 6-year-old boy. Coffey spoke by telephone Tues- day with Thompson's wife, Susan, who returned from Ecuador to her parents' home in Silver Spring, Md. He said Mrs. Thompson said the See EX-RALEIGH, page 7A

3 TEL. (919) SENTINEL WINSTON-SALEM,, N. C. JUL Former Rafe;~( Resident Died in Crash RALEIGH (AP) - A former Raleigh resident was among five Americans who died in the fiery crash Monday of an Ecuadorian airliner. Roger Thompson, a Baptist missionary stationed in Qmto, Ecuador, was identified by the U.S. Embassy as one of the 119 victims. Thompson had worked in Raleigh as a staff representative recruiting and training missionaries for the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, said Dr. Cecil A. Ray, general secretary for the Baptist State Convention. Thompson moved to Ecuador about 18 months ago. The Rev. Jack Coffey of New Hope Baptist Church, church Thompson attended for several years while in Raleigh, said Thompson's death was the latest in a series of family tragedies. All the family's possessions were destroyed in a mudslide a month ago, Coffey said, and Mrs. Thompson and the couple's three children had to return to the United States when she became ill with pneumonia. the

4 ? CLIPPING - SERVICE RALEIGH, NC 2760a TEL.(919) WATAUGA DEMOCRAT BOONE, N. c. M TH 8,200 JUL 13 '13 av-c1.a5icr J.>:11 ' 'v-u-...,...,...,,_. (', ' :J.C/1 Missionary Dies In Plane Crash RA.LEIG.H. (AP) - A former Raleigh resident was among five Americans who died in the fiery crash Monday of an Ecuadorian airliner. Roger Thompson, a Baptist missionary stationed in Quito, Ecuador, was identified by the U.S. Embassy as one of the 119 (I victims. Thompson had worked in Raleigh as a staff representative recruiting and training missionaries for the Foreign Mission Board of the Sout~n Baptist Convention, said Dr. Cecil A. Ray, generalsecretary for the Baptist State Convention. Thompson moved to Ecuador about 18 months ago. The Rev. Jack Coffey of New Hope Baptist Church, the church Thompson attended for several years while in Raleigh, said. Thompson's death was the latest in a series of family tragedies. All the family's possesslons were destroyed in a mudslide a month ago, Coffey said, and Mrs. Thompson and the couple's three children had to return to the United States when she became ill with pneumonia. Jt.

5 TEL. (919) TIMES RALEIGH, N. C. D-35,000 JUL l 3 :13 Former resident of Raleigh died in plane crash A foriner Raleigh resident has been identified as one of five Americans who died in the crash of an Ecuadorian airliner Monday. The U.S. Embassy has identified floger Thoml?_SO.I), 35, as one of 119 victims Killed in the crash. Thompson, a Baptist missionary in Quito, Ecuador, was en route to Cuenca to teach a course in special scripture verses, said J. Bryan Brasington, area director for Western South America for the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. Brasington said Thompson, who graduated from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest in December 1980, had been in Ecuador since April While at Southeastern, Thompson worked as an area representative with the personnel department for the Foreign Mission Board. He lived in the Brentley Woods subdivision and was a member of New Hope Baptist Church on Louisburg Road. Rev. Jack F. Coffey, the pastor of New Hope Church, said, "Roger was a well liked man who liked his work very, very much and was very committed to it. He was a fine person." Coffey said he talked to Thompson's wife, Susan, by telephone Tuesday, She had come back to the United States from Ecuador earlier and was staying with her parents in Silver Spring, Md. He said she planned to return Ecuador tomorrow. "Mrs. Thompson said this was the latest in a series of family tragedies that they have suffer," Coffey said. "They lost most of their belongings in a mudslide in Quito, and Mrs. Thompson and their three children had to return to the U.S. because she was ill with pnuemonia and couldn't be helped there." Mr. and Mrs. Gorden L. Hopkins, of 4005 Pin Oak Road, who were good friends of the Thompson's while they were in Raleigh, said the Thompson's really enjoyed their work. "We have known them since they first moved to Raleigh," Hopkins said. "We talked before they left and he was exceedingly looking forward to this missionary adventure. They were real excited about their opportunity for serving."

6 TEL.(919) DAILY TIMES WILSON, N. C. 0~16,000 JUL 13 <33.---State Briefs---.; trash Killed Raleigh Resident RALEIGH (AP) - A former Raleigh resident was among five Americans who died in the fiery crash Monday of an Ecuadorian airliner. Roger Thompson, a Baptist missionary stationed in Quito, Ecuador, was identified as by the U.S. Embassy as one of the 119 victims. Thompson had worked in Raleigh as a staff representative recruiting and training missionaries for the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Con vention, said Dr. Cecil A. Ray, general secretary for the Baptist State Convention. Thompson moved to Ecuador about 18 months ago. The Rev. Jack Coffey of New Hope Baptist Church, the church Thompson attended for several years while in Raleigh, said Thompson's death was the latest in a series of family tragedies. All the family's possessions were destroyed in a mudslide a month ago, Coffey said, and Mrs. Thompson and the couple's three children had to return to the United States when she became ill with bu op a H ri