Obituaries

James Edward Thomson, known to nearly everyone as "JT," passed away peacefully on July 2, 2026, surrounded by love after a life lived fully and on his own terms.

Born on April 13, 1953, in Chicago, Illinois, James moved to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, at the age of twelve and the city became his home for the rest of his life. A proud member of the Bay Mills Indian Community, JT carried his heritage with him throughout his life, it was woven into everything he did and everywhere he worked.

He was a man who belonged wherever he stood, equally at home behind the DJ booth spinning music for a crowd or settled into his chair commanding the battlefield in Call of Duty.

JT built a life around two things he did naturally and well, music and people. As the owner of his own DJ business, he had a gift for reading a room and knowing exactly what it needed. He served his community with dedication working as a security guard at the Kings Club Casino and at Bay Mills Resort and Casino, places that were not just jobs but part of the community he loved and belonged to. He carried himself with the quiet authority of a man who didn't need to raise his voice to be heard.

He loved music, movies, and video games with a dedication that never wavered. Right up until the end he was still gaming, still himself. Put him in front of Call of Duty and he was completely at home.

Those who knew JT knew two things immediately. First, when he walked into a room something changed. He was outgoing, friendly, and easy to be around in a way that drew people to him naturally. He could strike up a conversation with a complete stranger and within minutes have a new friend for life. Second, when JT made up his mind about something, that was it. His stubbornness was the flip side of his integrity. He was a proud man who handled his own affairs, asked for nothing, and gave what he could to the people he loved.

JT shared fifty-one years of marriage with his beloved wife Linda Thomson, a partnership and a love story that outlasted everything life put in front of it.

JT is survived by his wife, Linda; his children, Michael Thomson, James Thomson Jr., Brenda VonBank, Lisa Adell, Martin Azevedo, and Theresa Thomson; his twelve grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren who knew him as Grandpa; and his brother, John Thomson.

James was preceded in death by his father, James Thomson; and his mother, Clara Thomson, known and loved throughout the community simply as Aunt Clara.

He was not the kind of man who asked for help or sought the spotlight for himself. He was the kind of man who showed up, stood firm, made people laugh, and loved his family in the way stoic men do, not always in words, but always in presence.

He was seventy-three years old. He was a DJ, a gamer, a community servant, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a great grandfather, and a friend to anyone lucky enough to meet him.

The world had a JT in it for 73 years. That was a gift.
-Michael

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, July 11, 2026, at 11:00 AM, at the Bay Mills Cultural Center, 12498 W. Tower Rd., Brimley, MI 49715.

Family Life Funeral Homes – Sault Ste. Marie assisted the family with arrangements. Condolences may be given to the family at www.familylifefh.com.