Clyde Thompson, 95, died Monday, Feb. 8, 2021, in Liberty.

Born March 15, 1925, on a farm north of Coldwater Kansas, he was the son of Walter T. and Clara (Hase) Thompson.

Clyde had three brothers, his identical twin Clair, Wayne and James; and two sisters, Anna Lou Einsel and Marjorie Overocker. All of them preceded him in death.

Clyde’s survivors include his wife, Nancy Hardesty, of Excelsior Springs; and his four children from his first wife, Wilma Betzer Thompson: Randall Clyde Thompson and wife Kathy, Richard Clair Thompson and wife Amy, Rosemary Thompson and Ruthann (Thompson) Reese and husband Kurt.

Clyde had eight grandchildren: Amy Fairchild (Brian), Andrea Rand (Tom), Leah Kelly (Chris), Lindsay Flynn (Braedon), Allison Lewis (Justin), Ross Thompson (Candice), Ryan Thompson (Jennifer) and Lucy Thompson. Clyde also had 17 great-grandchildren.

Clyde also was close to his twin brother Clair’s children, Cindi, Deidre, Shari, Don and Scott, and became a second father to them when Clair passed away at age 89. Clyde also was a great influence on Nathan (April) and Daniel (Tracy) Hardesty, Nancy’s sons, and they loved and appreciated Clyde.

Clyde’s early career followed his parents and siblings in farming and ranching in the Coldwater area. Clyde attended school in Coldwater, graduating in 1943 from Coldwater High School. He was a member of the Coldwater Country Club, and Coldwater Masonic Lodge and was a member of the Midian Shrine in Wichita, Kansas. Clyde also was part owner/operator of a Chevrolet dealership in Coldwater. While in Kansas, Clyde was an active supporter of the Democratic Party, supporting Gov. Robert Docking and President Kennedy. Because of his campaign support for President Kennedy, he received an invitation to Kennedy’s inauguration.

Deciding to go to the “big city,” he became a barber and moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he worked at the Broadmoor Hotel, providing haircuts for celebrities such as Bob Hope, John Wayne, Walt Disney, Gene Kelly and Desi Arnaz. He also was a bartender at the Broadmoor and enjoyed meeting people, making them smile and laugh.

In 1985, Clyde moved to Excelsior Springs to help his son Richard start the American Italian Pasta Company, or AIPC. In the early years, Clyde worked hard out in the community to establish good relationships between the town and the AIPC. He also helped oversee the construction of the AIPC project on the west side of Excelsior Springs.

Clyde was loved by all at the AIPC. It could have been his charm or it could have been because he passed out all the paychecks every Friday. He worked seven days a week and loved his work dearly, so much so he did not retire until he was 86.

Clyde was involved with many charitable community organizations, including Ducks Unlimited, and was on the board of the Excelsior Springs Chamber of Commerce.

He met his companion, best friend and wife of six years, Nancy Hardesty, in Excelsior. They spent nearly 36 years together, enjoying barbecue at their favorite local hangout, the Wabash bar and restaurant; cheering on the Kansas City Chiefs; and their many dear friendships. Clyde had his own Kansas City Chiefs jersey framed and mounted on the wall at the Wabash, and Clyde and Nancy’s Christmas stockings were front and center over the bar of the Wabash every year.

Clyde lived a long, wonderful life. He was loved by everyone who met him. You could not walk down the street with him without someone stopping you and telling you how much they loved him. He will be dearly missed. He made contributions to the lives of family, friends and charities. Clyde’s spirit and courage will continue to inspire forever. His life is a reminder that a good attitude and a few good friends, family and relatives make a person truly rich.

There will be a celebration in honor of Clyde when it is easier to have a toast to Clyde without masks being required!

In lieu of gifts or flowers, please pay your love forward by giving a helping hand to someone in need, as Clyde did so many times.