DougLAS Thompson

December 24, 1950-September 20, 2026

Doug Thompson often said that he had never met a single soul who dreamed of being a salesperson. Doug didn’t have that dream either, but he was born to be one. Before finding his calling, he worked in oil fields and as a ranch hand in Montana. He tried his hand at truck driving, manufacturing oil field equipment, construction work in Texas, and spent two years building the London Bridge in Lake Havasu, Arizona. Answering a blind newspaper ad for a “sports-minded individual” put him on this path. After asking to ride along with one of the company’s salesmen, he came back to the interview and said, “If he can do this, I can.” And he did. Doug resided with his wife Shirley in Jefferson, Texas, where they purchased and restored a historic home dating to 1872 and transformed the carriage houses into a bed-and-breakfast. The couple originally moved to Jefferson with retirement in mind. But thoughts of retirement didn’t last long for Doug. His passion for improving the customer’s experience as well as the sales profession continued to drive him as he came up with new ideas to answer this question: How can we make the sales process better?

Starting out as an insurance agent going down the street knocking on doors selling accident insurance, Doug quickly moved into the management side of the life and health insurance industry, hiring and training agents to be successful doing the same. Within a short period of time, his ability to build successful sale teams caught the eye of the corporate leadership of several major companies. Doug became the vice president of sales and marketing for Conseco, and was recruited to do the same for PacifiCare, UnitedHealthcare, American Republic, Tranzact, and Humana. After a stint as a senior executive with a large regional insurance marketer. He eventually opened his own general agency, which offered life and health products to the senior population. He was known nationally for his innovations in the sales industry. Doug is survived by Shirley, their four children, several grandchildren and great grandchildren.