Jack Enrico “Jocko” Thompson, age 78, died peacefully at home on May 3, 2026, after a courageous battle with cancer.

A celebration of his life will be held on Friday, May 22nd at Cremation Society of Minnesota, 7110 France Ave S in Edina, MInnesota.  Visitation begins at 1:00 pm followed by a 2:00 pm service. Reception to follow. 

Born October 7, 1947, to Clarence and Antoinette (DeBernardi) Thompson in Ely, Minnesota, Jack graduated from Ely Memorial High School in 1966. He attended Vermilion Community College and went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 1970.

He began his career teaching at Babbitt High School before joining U.S. Steel’s Minntac Plant in Mt. Iron, where he worked until his retirement.

Jocko often joked that he “wasn’t very smart,” but anyone who knew him would disagree, especially if they’d ever had him on their Trivial Pursuit team. He was the guy you wanted, and not just for the orange sports questions.

A gifted and enthusiastic athlete, Jocko excelled in tennis, hockey, football, and baseball throughout high school and college. In truth, he seemed to be good at every sport he tried: curling, bocce ball, croquet, pickleball, badminton…you get the picture. He was a devoted fan of Minnesota sports teams, with a special place in his heart for his beloved Minnesota Gophers.

In retirement, he worked with Troon Golf at Giants Ridge in Biwabik and at Stonebrooke Golf Club in Shakopee. He also took up biking and rarely missed a day of riding.

Jocko had a lifelong passion for coaching youth sports. Much of his coaching career was spent with the Mt. Iron-Buhl High School hockey program and the Virginia High School football and hockey programs. Up until his passing, he remained in touch with many of the athletes he coached, an enduring testament to the positive impact he had on so many lives.

In 1969, Jack married Sally Jo Burgess of Tower, Minnesota. Together they raised their three children in Virginia and Mt. Iron. In 2013, Jack and Sally moved to Savage, where he lived for the remainder of his life.

He is survived by his wife of 56 years, Sally; his three children, JoEllen (Chris) Maras of Omaha, Nebraska; Brian (Amanda Cope) of East Granby, Connecticut; and Erin (Jeff) Skubic of Eden Prairie, Minnesota; and his cherished grandchildren: Olivia Maras (Trent Hoppe) of Tempe, Arizona; Tony Maras of Brooklyn, New York; Celia Skubic of Boston, Massachusetts; Cal Thompson and Quinn Thompson of East Granby, Connecticut; and Jack Skubic of Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Jocko is also survived by his sisters Diana (Robert) Kirschner and Olivia Thompson, two nieces, many cousins and numerous life-long friends. 

Jocko’s wish was that his life be celebrated joyfully and without fuss. In his honor, please feel free to wear your favorite Minnesota athletic gear (extra points for the Gophers) and come prepared to share your favorite “Jocko story.”

Jocko never met a stranger, making friends everywhere he went. Not bad for a Phy-Ed major.

Memorials may be directed to the following:

Ely Educational Foundation with Direction to Youth Athletics

PO Box 373

Ely MN 55731

Allina Health Hospice

St. Francis Cancer Center