Thompson, Shaffer Eugene 'Gene'

Shaffer Eugene “Gene” Thompson died Wednesday, March 16, 2011, at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

Born in Omaha, Neb., he grew up in Council Bluffs, spent most of his working life in the Pacific Northwest, and returned to Iowa in 1999 to join his partner, Caitlin Robinson, in Coralville. In retirement he became a radio-control airplane hobbyist with the Iowa City Aerohawks; created a website, Forever 73; formed Dryland Sailor Publishing, which produced the annual All-Around-Iowa Craft Show & Art Fair Directory; and undertook extensive reading and writing projects.

Educated at Abraham Lincoln High School in Council Bluffs, at Grinnell College, and in graduate schools in Iowa and Wisconsin, Gene began his working life as a teacher at South East Junior High School in Iowa City and at Shorewood High School in Wisconsin, while married to Elma Johnston of Omaha. They had two children, Benjamin and Daniel.

He became Dean of Students at Grinnell College in the ‘60s and then began editorship of the first Grinnell alumni magazine, work that took him into writing and production of publications for small liberal arts colleges. He was director of publications at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Wash., and at Reed College in Portland, Ore., retiring in 1995. He was founding editor of three alumni magazines, several of his publications won national awards, and he was nationally recognized through his association work in the college publications field.

Gene learned to sail small boats on Rock Creek Lake near Grinnell and eventually moved aboard his own sailboat on the Columbia River in Portland, Ore., living aboard at the moorage, and at Eagle Harbor, Bainbridge Island, Wash. In addition to extensive cruising on the Columbia River and in the San Juan Islands, he made two small-boat ocean passages from the mouth of the Columbia to the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Gene is survived by his sons, Benjamin Conrad Thompson (Berkeley, Calif.) and Daniel Stuart Thomson (Birmingham, England); his life partner, Caitlin Robinson; brother, Lawrence Andrew Thompson (San Jose, Calif.); Ron Rounds, and many friends.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Leonard Harry Thompson; and his mother, Charlotte.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Council Bluffs (Iowa) Public Library, where Gene learned to be a reader.

A service celebrating Gene's life will be held at a later date.

Online condolences may be sent through the web at

Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service of Iowa City is caring for Gene's arrangements.