Wearing a Happy Birthday tiara presented by one of her friends, Lucille Thompson waited in the audience at the Cypress City Council meeting Feb. 27. The next day, Thompson would be celebrating her 100th birthday, but that night, the council was acknowledging her with a Certificate of Special Recognition.
Wearing a Happy Birthday tiara presented by one of her friends, Lucille Thompson waited in the audience at the Cypress City Council meeting Feb. 27. The next day, Thompson would be celebrating her 100th birthday, but that night, the council was acknowledging her with a Certificate of Special Recognition.
“We have a presentation to a very special person on her 100th birthday,” said Mayor Paulo Morales. “Lucille Thompson graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 1939 and Cal State Los Angeles, with a Master’s degree in Education Administration with a minor in music.”
“She taught in Rancho Cucamonga and Compton School Districts where she became an Assistant Principal and Principal,” Morales continued. “She became an Inner-City Specialist and received an Immersion Certificate in Spanish.”
“She served as an educator for 43 years, from 1939 to her retirement in 1985, and is a mother to three children, four grandchildren, two step-grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.”
Morales was impressed with Thompson’s lifetime of travel. “She traveled throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, the Caribbean, and Mexico, visiting locations she had studied about.”
“Lucille is a member of Delta Kappa Gamma Society and a member of the Woman’s Club of Cypress since 1992 and is also a member of the Rancho Cucamonga Woman’s Club.” He asked the members of The Women’s Club of Cypress in the audience to stand. More than a dozen members were present to witness Thompson receive her award.
Outside the council chambers, Kaelin Locker from Senator Josh Newman’s office, 29th District, and Christopher Aguilera from Assemblymember Sharon Quirk Silva’s office, 65th District, presented awards to a visibly surprised Thompson.
“I was born in Cucamonga, now called Rancho Cucamonga on February 28, 1917,” said Thompson. “It’s hard to realize I am 100.”
“My son says I act like it’s nothing. He asked me how many people do I know who make it to 100?’
“When I taught in the San Bernardino County, in Rancho Cucamonga, in the 1940s we had 45 children in each classroom,” said Thompson.
“In elementary, I taught all subjects, especially History, English and English as a Second Language. Then, I became a project writer and administrator.”
“I also taught 7th and 8th grade. The children did not speak English and it was before TV, so they only heard English at school. The school kept the kids back to give them more time, so we had 8th graders who were 16 years old. I got them ready to graduate from 8th grade.”
Her years of study and travel continue to enable her to contribute articles each month to the Woman’s Club of Cypress newsletter by writing about travel and history topics.
Known as a happy, friendly person, Thompson is still active in her club and attended the 51st anniversary party of the club on March 1 where they had a cake to celebrate Thompson’s big event, too.
–This article appeared in the March 8, 2017 print edition of the News Enterprise.