Kenneth "Kt" Thompson

Funeral services for Kenneth “KT” Thompson, 67, of Lufkin will be held Thursday, February 14, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. at Keltys United Methodist Church with Reverend Cindy Doran officiating. Interment will follow in the Gann Cemetery.

Mr. Thompson was born October 2, 1951 in Lufkin, Texas to the late Robbie Azalea (Owens) and Virgil Allen Thompson, and died Sunday, February 10, 2019 at his residence.

Mr. Thompson was a lifetime resident of Lufkin and owned and operated AAA Pest Control for 25 years. He had also been a used car dealer. He was a past president of the Deep East Texas Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America.

Mr. Thompson was a bass player, vocalist, song writer, and amateur recording engineer. He started taking piano lessons at the age of seven, and took up guitar at 12. He got interested in the bass guitar at 18 and has been playing professionally since the age of 14. Mr. Thompson has played in many bands over the years. Some of the highlights have been groups such as Razzmatazz. This Classic Rock and Southern Rock band played all over Texas and Louisiana and were known for putting on large outdoor music festivals. Soul Expression was a ten-piece Soul band with horns and two singers that performed at the hottest venues in the South. Roy Rogers and the Bunkhouse Band was a nine-piece Texas Swing band that played many Texas hot spots and were also on television. “KT” played in the Pony Express Band, which was the house band at the Silver Dollar Club in Lufkin, five nights a week for three years. He was also the bass player in the band Melrose, another particularly popular and memorable group around East Texas. Melrose recorded several local hits, the most popular being “Crimes of Passion”. He also played with Stacey Lowery & Rolling Thunder for many years, in the 1990s and early 2000s. He was proud to be currently playing with his newest group, “Night Train”.

Survivors include his wife of 23 years, Merry (Harris) Thompson of Lufkin; daughters and son-in-law, Alyssa and Richard Minshew of Lufkin and Amanda Thompson of Plano; stepdaughter and son-in-law, Tyea and Ryan McKee of Huntington; stepson and daughter-in-law, Nicholas and Acelya Villarreal of Charleston, South Carolina; grandchildren, Bryce Minshew, Blake Minshew, Austin Reid, Morgan Reid, and Trenton Villarreal; brother and sister-in-law, Brian and Jeri Lynn Thompson of Tyler; sisters and brothers-in-law, Dian and Gary Ogden of Arlington and Carol and Curt Rowin of Lufkin; and a number of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Pallbearers will be Bryce Minshew, Blake Minshew, Austin Reid, Morgan Reid, Trenton Villarreal, Stacey Lowrey, Jack Koon, and Gary Selman.

Memorial contributions may be made to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Texas Gulf Coast Chapter, 5005 Mitchelldale, Suite 115, Houston, Texas 77092-7230.

The family will welcome friends and loved ones from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday evening at Carroway Funeral Home.

Memories and condolences may be added at www.carrowayfuneralhome.com.

Carroway Funeral Home, Lufkin, directors.