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Quincy Louis “QT” Thompson – 5/12/1940 – 8/9/2016

   Written by on August 11, 2016 at 9:44 am

quincy photoCharlotte County mourns the loss of Quincy L. Thompson, better known as QT. He was born in Charlotte County, and with the exception of four years in the Army, spent his life in Charlotte County. He served in Korea and held the rank of Sargent.  He was employed by Pettus Motor Company in Drakes Branch and Burlington Industries. In 1971 QT was hired by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office becoming the first African-American deputy on any police force in the area.

QT broke the race barrier for many others. He was successful as a deputy and moved up in the ranks. He was a hard worker and involved in the community. In 1994 he was awarded the Virginia State Sheriffs Association Deputy of the Year Award.

Sheriff Thomas Jones summed up the life of Quincy L. Thompson in his recommendation for that award, which is paraphrased below.

There was one specific trait I looked for: “dedication” – dedication to me, our department, and most of all dedication towards the citizens we serve. The officer I nominated certainly fit those criteria. He was employed in August, 1971 and served this county and our department honestly and fairly. He is well respected by all who know him. He was the first black deputy sheriff ever hired in our county. This didn’t make his job any easier and the respect he received was earned.

Beginning in August 1971 he moved through the ranks from Deputy to Investigator, and held the rank of Lieutenant. With his many duties as Lieutenant, he also managed to devote time towards talks to civic groups on crime prevention, firearm safety, and safety in the home, and he also taught a fire safety course to elementary school children. He was also devoted to our D.A.R .E. program and was always there for support at fund-raising events.

On a personal note, this officer was born in May, 1940 in Charlotte County, Virginia. He was one of 15 children. He was a member of Mount Zion Church in Red House since the age of twelve. After finishing school, he joined the Army in 1962 and completed his tour of duty in 1964. He had five children and five grandchildren. He was a member of the Keysville Masonic Lodge since 1970. He served as a charter member of the Charlotte County Rescue Squad for fourteen years and in 1973 he was appointed to the Board of Directors of the American Red Cross and for three years, he served as Chairman.

He also gave an amazing thirteen gallons of blood to the Red Cross during his lifetime. He served as a member of the Drakes Branch Volunteer Fire Department. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Office on Youth. He was on the Charlotte County Litter Control and Waste Removal Committee and was responsible for the cleanup and removal of more than one hundred waste sites in our county. He served on the committee that planned, organized and sponsored the Charlotte County Celebrations and Earth Day Festivals.

He unselfishly donated many hours each day caring for shut-ins, checking on them, carrying them their mail and seeing that their needs were met.

This officer’s dedication to his friends and our county is immeasurable and it is impossible to mention all he did. Those of us who knew him saw a man who was always there for other people, always putting his needs last, always ready to help when needed. I see a man who devoted his life to upholding the laws of this nation honestly and unselfishly for all men, regardless of race, creed or religion.

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