Gibsonville alderman and Graham businessman Paul Thompson has died.
Thompson died “unexpectedly late Sunday night at Alamance Regional Medical center at the age of 59,” according to a release put out by the town of Gibsonville.
Thompson was elected last November after three previous unsuccessful attempts to get on the board – in 2019 and 2017 in runs for alderman and in 2015 when he ran for mayor against long-time, and current, mayor Lenny Williams.
Thompson was vice president and business manager at International Minute Press in Graham, part of a national franchise.
In previous biographical information he provided to the newspaper for those earlier campaign runs, he listed himself as single and with no children.
A Burlington native, Thompson was a 1981 graduate of Williams High School. He previously told the newspaper that he attended the University of North Carolina for 1½ years and also studied at Alamance Community College, where he took courses in accounting, finance, taxes, and criminal justice.
Funeral service details are unknown at this time, according to the town.
The remaining members of the board of aldermen will be responsible to select Thompson’s replacement.
An immediate name mentioned as a potential replacement is Irene Fanelli, a first-time candidate in 2021, who placed third behind Bryant Crisp and Thompson last November. Thompson beat out Fanelli by two votes in voting across both Alamance and Guilford Counties.
Read an interview with Paul Thompson, shortly after his election last year: https://alamancenews.com/meet-new-gibsonville-alderman-paul-thompson/
