Becky Thomson:
CLASS OF 1970
Galesburg High SchoolClass of 1970
Galesburg, IL
University of Washington - PharmacyClass of 1977
Seattle, WA
University of Illinois - Liberal Arts & SciencesClass of 1973
Urbana, IL
Churchill Junior High SchoolClass of 1967
Galesburg, IL
Bateman SchoolClass of 1964
Galesburg, IL
Becky's Story
I was born Becky Thomas and grew up in Galesburg, Illinois. At Bateman Elementary, my best friends were Janie Miller (whom I've been unable to contact) and Chris Ortery, for whom I have a mailing address. I was totally obsessed with Top-40s bands, especially the Beattles and Mark Lindsey of Paul Revere and the Raiders. I walked to school from my Maple Avenue home.
At Churchill Jr. High I was in the choir and in band, where I played clarinet. I tended to be a nerd who made straight A's except for failing P.E., art, and Home Ec!
I continued in the band at Galesburg High School, where I was also interested in debating and chemistry. In high school I tended to hang out with a slightly older crowd which included Greg Bennett (to whom I was eventually married for five years.)
I majored in chemistry and calculus at the University of Illinois in Urbana, and was active in conservative groups such as the Young Republicans. (That seems odd now, because these days I am a strong Progressive!)
In the mid 70s I was known as Becky Bennett. Although I graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in pharmacy, I worked primarily for Alan Gottlieb at the Second Amendment Foundation. (Oh, the shame!) Greg and I started the Northwest Science Fiction Society (NWSFS), Norwescon (which is still held annually) and the Seattle in 1981 Worldcon bid.
I got divorced in 1977, at which time I lived in New Westminster, B.C., with John Thomson, but worked across the border in Washington State. John and I were very active in science fiction fandom in Vancouver, B.C., where I was still known as Becky Bennett.
In 1980 John and I were married, and we moved to the Naples/Bonita Springs area of Florida. My parents, Seth and Bea Thomas, had a condo there, and I worked at Northern Trust Bank. At that time and e...Expand for more
ver since I've been known as Becky Thomson. In 1983 we adopted our only child, Sean, who is now 25-years-old.
We moved in 1983 to Orlando, Florida, where we lived for 13 years. I founded the Orlando Area Science Fiction Society, the Oasis Convention (which is still held annually), and the successful Orlando in '92 Worldcon bid, which resulted in MagiCon. I also became involved in 'Quantum Leap' online fandom. During those years I worked primarily as an Administrative Assistant for professional real estate firms.
In 1996 we moved back to the Pacific Northwest, primarily to help Elizabeth Adams (then Warren) raise her two infant grandchildren. They are still the center of my life. Sadly, John died in 2005.
These days I am still active in science fiction fandom, and usually attend the Worldcons, Westercon, SMOFcon, Loscon, and Discworld Conventions. I'm often seen in the company of one of my best friends, Tom Veal, whom I've known since my days at the U of I.
I'm addicted to the internet, especially LiveJournal. I'm obsessed with Terry Pratchett's Discworld books and with Snape (and Alan Rickman) from Harry Potter.
I became politically active early in the Obama Presidential campaign, and now am a member of several Democratic and Progressive organizations. My main concerns are gay rights, unemployment, universal health care, education, green energy, and global warming.
But most of my time is dedicated to being Nana to my two goddaughters, Justice (12) and Alex (13), who live with Elizabeth and Steve Adams and attend Sumner Middle School.
My mother, who is now 93-years-old, still lives in the house on Maple Avenue in Galesburg where I grew up.
I unfortunately have some memory problems and am not good with names, so when you drop me a note remind me of where and how we knew each other.
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