South Yorkshire Times March 15, 1969

Death at 75

Old Wathonians and a host of friends in many parts of South Yorkshire will have heard with deep regret of the death on Monday at the age of 75, of Mr R G. Thompson, of Cross Street, Wath-on-Dearne.

It is nearly forty years since Reg Thompson, as he was so well known, converted an old barn adjoining Wath Majestic Cinema (since demolished) and set up in business as an automobile engineer.

An old boy of the then Mexborough Secondary School, he had trained at Vickers (Sheffield) and his competent services rapidly won him an extensive circle of customers. The expansion of the business is well-known. Now R. G. Thompson Ltd, the firm opened its magnificent new showroom (nearly 4,000 square feet in surface area) in High Street in March, 1964. It overlooks the High Street garage whence the firm moved in 1956, when the lease expired on the old Majestic premises. They subsequently re-acquired those premises and still retain them.

There is a further family link in High Street in that the repair shop and petrol filling station are constructed on what in years gone by was the garden of a cottage in which lived one of Reg Thompson’s forebearers. Reg retired from active participation in automobile engineering some little time before this expansion, but he had retained a close association with the business in consultant capacity as Managing Director. He leaves a widow, three sons and a daughter (Mrs Jill Borrow, whose home is in Orpington.)

The three sons are all directors of the company – Mr P. F. Thompson, Mr R.B.. Thompson and Mr. J. M. Thompson.

Reg, who was born in Australia, of an old Wath family, came to this country as an Infant, was a soldier in World Ward I, during which he saw service in France and Russia, and won the Military Medal, and was a Special Constable and Army Cadet Officer in World War. He was a Fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers. Cremation took place at Rotherham yesterday (Thursday.)