Greenfield mourns loss of civic leader Danny Thompson

From his days rounding the bases with the famous "Buttermilk Boys," to his time spent on the Greenfield City Council, Daniel Thompson was a role model to Greenfield residents as an elected official, sports official and loyal McClain Tigers fan.  

Mr. Thompson died Sunday at Hearth and Care in Greenfield at the age of 86.

He had served as a member of the Republican Central Committee for 40 years, was a recipient of the Highland County Mr. Republican Award and was a member of the Greenfield City Council and McClain School Board.

Former state senator and director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture David Daniels said that he knew Thompson his entire life, and he was a respected member of the Greenfield community.

"Danny was a great guy," Daniels said. "He was one of those guys who had been around Greenfield who I knew my entire life. His kids and my family, my brothers and sisters, were around the same age. I had a tremendous amount of respect for Danny."

According to his obituary, Mr. Thompson, a native of Hillsboro, Ky., "was a 1945 graduate of Edward Lee McClain High School. While in school, he played on the 1940s football team. Throughout the years, Danny remained a very loyal McClain Tigers fan.

"He worked at The Greenfield Daily Times, and for almost 40 years, he worked at the Greenfield Printing and Publishing. He and [his wife] Becky also owned and operated Merrianna’s Pizza for several years. He was an active member of the Greenfield First Baptist Church in the 1990s and most recently attended Tree of Life Fellowship. Being proud of his Kentucky roots, he received the honor of being a Kentucky Colonel. Danny was also a member of the Buttermilk Boys."

The Buttermilk Boys (officially The Brotherhood of the Buttermilk Boys, according to Mr. Thompson in a previous interview) were a group of Greenfield area young men who had formed an informal baseball league in the 1940s. They played in diamonds fashioned in cornfields on the old Walter Jury farm located of Buttermilk Road and Jury Lane. 

Daniels said that he really got to know Mr. Thompson through his work in local government and politics, but his fondest memories will always include his involvement in sports. 

"I also knew him through his work with the Republican Central Committee, and what he did for Greenfield and government affairs," Daniels said. "One of my most vivid memories was when my daughter, Stacey, was playing volleyball at McClain High School, and Danny was one of the officials at the volleyball game. He was involved in all kinds of activities and was dedicated to community involvement. He and Becky were good folks, and Danny will be sorely missed. He lived a good life." 

Highland GOP chair Kay Ayres remembers Mr. Thompson as a tireless worker and a strong advocate for the city of Greenfield.

"Danny was a really good worker for the Republican Party and had been for many years," Ayres said. "He represented Greenfield very well. He was always fighting for Greenfield. He was a good man."

Greenfield resident Lanny Bryant said that Mr. Thompson was a friend, who set an example for people in Greenfield. 

"Danny was a great guy," Bryant said. "We worked together at Greenfield Printing. He was the press foreman at the plant, and I worked there with him when I first stated in printing. He was really a mentor of mine, and a great guy." 

Outside the job, Bryant said that Mr. Thompson was a friend, who was a "pillar of the community."

"We had been good friends for a long time, and served on the Republican Central Committee together," Bryant said.

"He was instrumental in getting me into politics. He really was a role model for a lot of young people. He umpired, served on city council and was kind of a pillar of the community. He will be sadly missed by the Greenfield community."

(Editor's note: Kathleen Fuller contributed to this article.)