Kirk Daniel Thompson

Kirk Daniel Thompson of The Villages in Florida passed away on April 23, 2026 in The Villages.

Kirk was born in Alamosa, Colorado to Helen and Ralph Byars on May 23, 1943. He grew up in Alamosa and other parts of the Southwest, during which time his mother married Noel Thompson. In high school, his mother moved the family to a home on Quincy Street in Albuquerque, NM, where he met the love of his life, Billie Nichols. He attended Highland High School and graduated in 1961.

Kirk began working at a young age. His love of golf began with doing odd jobs at a golf course. While learning the art of television repair, he developed an appreciation of the importance of doing the right thing for customers, as well as an understanding of the opportunities and challenges of running a small business.

Following high school, Kirk and Billie married on June 15, 1963 while they attended the University of New Mexico (UNM) in Albuquerque. During college, Kirk honed his social skills by selling environmental instrumentation, laboratory instruments, and systems for a small electronics company. Kirk earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from UNM in 1965, then his Master of Science Degree in Engineering in 1966 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Kirk’s career combined his passion for engineering with the excitement of the technological revolution that continued throughout his lifetime. His career took him on adventures around the world, which led to wonderful stories that he loved to share. Shortly after graduation from MIT, Kirk started working at Motorola Corporation in Phoenix, Arizona, where he served as a project leader on various independent research, development, and customer-funded projects. In 1967, he received a patent for his work on multilayered circuitry interconnections with integral shields. Going to school while working, Kirk earned his Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Electrical Engineering from Arizona State University (ASU) in 1973. He then became an ASU post-doctoral fellow in biomedical engineering at the Arizona Heart Institute. After returning briefly to the private sector as a Principal Engineer at Omnicomp, Inc., he returned to ASU as an Assistant Professor of Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. However, Omnicomp recruited him back the following year by giving him the role of Chief Engineer. He then became the Director of Engineering of the GenRad Services Product Division when it purchased Omnicomp, Inc. in 1980. He participated extensively in the development of automatic test equipment standards and products, including the best-selling GR2225/2235. Kirk’s entrepreneurial nature motivated him to begin pursuing a career in consulting, which led to the incorporation of Quincy Street Corporation in 1977. In 1981, Kirk began working full time at Quincy Street Corporation, which developed numerous products and kept him busy until he retired after his 80th birthday.

Socially, Kirk was an active member of the Phoenix Country Club, where he spent many hours with friends on and off the course. He was also active in the Phoenix Men’s Arts Council, for which he chaired the Cowboy Artists of America show in 2007. After moving to Florida in 2022, Kirk quickly made many friends in The Villages, where he supported the Villages Philharmonic Orchestra and Opera Club, engaged in civil discourse discussions, and contributed homemade goodies to the neighborhood potlucks.

As a long-time Phoenician and recent Villager, Kirk enjoyed the outdoors and the open skies. He could often be found reading outside on the back patio with a cup of coffee. Always an athlete, he stayed active, and even trained for and completed a marathon under the Arizona sun. He enjoyed riding his motorcycles, eating spicy food, and cooking with, and for, family and friends. He always wanted to share his knowledge and experience with others. He could light up a room with his smile, and his genuine interest in other people and joy of life made him exude contagious optimism. Kirk’s love of engineering meant that he always had multiple computers on his desk and projects around the house. He taught many generations to program computers, and he took an engineering approach to everything he did - sometimes with surprising outcomes. Family and friends will remember the deep connections that he created and fostered, and his recognition of the importance of communication, certainty, and commitment. We will miss seeing the love in his bright blue eyes and huge grins, and hearing his kind words and hearty laughs. He truly treasured every relationship, and he will be warmly remembered and deeply missed.

Kirk is survived by his wife, Billie; daughter, Kimberly; son, Mark; sister, Janell Sherman; and their respective families, including four loving grandchildren. A celebration of his life will be held on May 30, 2026, in Florida. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Department of Electrical Engineering at Arizona State University or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.