Elmus Z. Thompson

Elmus Z. "Beaver" Thompson, 49, a Casa Grande native, died Jan. 11, 2008 at Casa Grande Regional Medical Center.


Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at J. Warren Funeral Services, Cole & Maud The Gardens Chapel. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at First Assembly of God, with Pastor Carlos Daniels of Faith Tabernacle in Palestine, Texas, officiating. Burial will be in Mountain View Cemetery.

Mr. Thompson was born Dec. 17, 1958. He attended East (now Palo Verde) School and graduated from Casa Grande Union High School. He attended Pasadena (Calif.) Community College. In 1968 he and his Little League teammates, coached by Jerry Odom, won the state tournament. They went on to the regional tournament in Denver and fell one run short of qualifying for the Little League World Series. At CGUHS he was an outstanding athlete in basketball, football and became a competitive tennis player after coaching from Al Van Hazel. His right arm became paralyzed at age 17 from a football injury.

At an early age he united with New Hope Baptist Church and in 2007 renewed his faith and became a member of First Shiloh Baptist Church in Casa Grande. He loved his family and friends and always had a smile in sickness or health.

Survivors include his mother, Laura Jean Mims of Casa Grande; his father and stepmother, AZ and Barbara Thompson of Phoenix; two daughters, Corleen Thompson Gulley and Denneka Lewis of Casa Grande; six sons, Bryan, Brandon, Brelin, Brodrick, Britt and Diotrick Baylon Thompson, all of Casa Grande; the mother of his children, Deborah K. Barnett; four brothers, Cecil, Tony, Tommy and Bobby Thompson, all of Phoenix; a sister, Bevelery Thompson of Phoenix; his grandmother, Bessie May Keeton of Houston; and nine grandchildren. He was preceded in death by two brothers, Larry and AZ "Bibo" Thompson, three sisters, Demetris Figgins, Janet and Sandra, and grandparents, Elmus and Elizabeth Keeton.