The Fraternity is saddened by the passing of Brother LeRoy Thompson, Missouri S&T ’56, a longtime volunteer and Order of the Golden Heart recipient.

Five years after completing his bachelor’s degree, Thompson began volunteering with his home chapter, Missouri Gamma, and went on to make a monumental impact on its culture and housing. During his 15 years as chapter counselor, Thompson was a trusted and highly treasured advisor, friend and role model whose guidance greatly influenced the personal and professional development of hundreds of young brothers.

In the 1960s, he designed, contracted and financed an annex that added 16 beds to the old chapter house. He is further remembered for playing a substantial role in the construction of a brand-new home in 1970 and securing financial investment for its 2010 renovation by sending handwritten letters to alumni requesting donations. That personal touch went a long way toward helping volunteers raise the funds needed. The chapter room at Missouri Gamma’s facility, named in Thompson’s honor, is an ongoing tribute to his impact.

By the time Thompson moved out of state to help establish the Department of Engineering at Florida International University, Missouri Gamma had over 100 men and was a Buchanan Cup contender. He longed to continue volunteering with the Fraternity after relocating to Florida. At the time, FIU did not have a SigEp chapter, but he made it his mission to correct that. More than a decade later, Thompson’s dogged persistence paid off when Florida Nu was chartered in 1987 and became the first national fraternity at the university.

In recognition of his many contributions to SigEp, Thompson was presented with the Fraternity’s highest honor, the Order of the Golden Heart, in 2013.

Some of the brothers who knew him best reflected on what made Thompson such an amazing brother and friend:

“LeRoy Thompson provided steadfast guidance to an energetic group of young men who wanted to start Sigma Phi Epsilon at FIU. He was our faculty advisor and chapter counselor, but more importantly, our mentor and teacher about all things SigEp. He was virtuous, diligent and loving, and he taught us what those things really meant. He molded our chapter’s history through our founding brothers. One of my greatest SigEp moments was being at Conclave when he was presented the Order of the Golden Heart and watching him cycle through surprise, humility and pure happiness, surrounded by members of his undergraduate chapter at Missouri S&T and the chapter he guided at FIU.

“Dr. Thompson was an educator of the highest level and served the FIU community in countless ways. As a professional, Dr. Thompson was an engineer’s engineer, highly respected in the industry. He will be missed by many who are grateful for his selfless contributions, which positively influenced our lives.” — Past Grand President Tom Jelke, Florida International ’90

“LeRoy Thompson was our faculty advisor when I joined SigEp at Missouri Gamma in 1968. He was a conscientious SigEp, living our cardinal principles daily. We spent time together identifying the need for a strong recruitment class in the fall of 1970 to fill the new 80-man chapter house he had been instrumental in designing and building. We were successful in both efforts.

“Fifty-five years later, I stopped in at his care facility to share some memories. He had all his SigEp paraphernalia, plaques and awards displayed proudly. Dr. LeRoy Thompson was an extraordinary SigEp. May he rest in peace.” — Steve Thies, Missouri S&T ’72

“LeRoy was a great brother and friend, and key to Missouri Gamma developing into one of the top fraternities on the Missouri S&T campus. LeRoy was the force behind the creation of our new house in 1970. LeRoy took a personal interest in Missouri Gamma brothers, always ready to help members address situations in their personal lives. I have always credited LeRoy for my successful completion of college and for setting the example of paying the Fraternity back by serving Missouri Gamma as an alumnus.” — Mike Hurst, Missouri S&T ’74, Citation recipient

“As I remember my brother, LeRoy Thompson, the word that comes immediately to mind is ‘respect.’ Yes, the respect that I and others have for him but, additionally, the respect he carried and conveyed in his humble way for all others.

“He was quiet, hardworking and saw the vision of what a great fraternity could be. He devoted his life to fulfilling that vision, and his ability to use it to inspire others and impact the Fraternity in significant ways was one of his great talents. I continue to admire him for his professional accomplishments — holding a doctorate in civil engineering — and as our chapter’s only recipient of the Order of the Golden Heart.

“LeRoy Thompson was truly a Fraternity man.” — Mike Kearney, Missouri S&T ’61