Our industry has suffered a loss with the passing of our friend and colleague, Shaw Thompson. He was highly respected among his peers for his positive impact to our trade. His many contributions to the business will be felt for years to come and he will be greatly missed. His obituary to follow.
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Kenneth Barnshaw (Shaw) Thompson, III, a successful business executive highly regarded for his expertise, integrity and leadership in the environmental services industry, died Jan. 1 after a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 65.
A New Orleans native and resident of the city for all but two years of his life, Shaw was an expert in emergency response to oil spills and hazardous substance release. During a career that spanned four decades, he led team responses to water and land spills primarily in the Gulf South but also in other regions of the country and abroad. He was committed to the well-being of the teams and individuals he led, and built strong connections with co-workers throughout his career. From 2003 to his retirement in 2018, he was president and CEO of Oil Mop, Inc., a company he also served in different capacities earlier in his career – from oil response worker to supervisor to office manager in Texas and then to head of Oil Mop Gulf Services in New Orleans between 1978 and 1984.
During his career, Shaw also started or co-founded and ran successful companies, including Thompson Environmental Management, Inc., which specialized in oil and hazmat spill clean-up and ship cleaning; The Thompson Group, Inc., which provided spill management services and general environmental consulting services; and Environmental Science Services Inc., or Es², which among other environmental and science support related services, provides high-resolution geospatial information and mapping to industry and government agencies for oilfield response planning and other environmental support needs. He also served as part of the WQIS spill management services team as a principal consultant and surveyor.
In addition, Shaw served as president of Arnaud Coffee Corp., a business founded by his grandfather.
Nothing was more important to Shaw than his family. He loved spending time with them and was always available to offer advice or a helping hand to them (and many others) when needed. He took great pride in recognizing and celebrating their collective achievements. Fun and funny, with a knack for well-timed dry humor, Shaw could make people laugh without trying hard. He enjoyed outdoor activities; an accomplished boater, he was at home at the helm, from which he helped create countless fun-filled, great memories for family and friends on leisurely cruises, fishing trips and skiing outings. He was also a talented tennis player who, in his younger years, ranked among the best in Louisiana for his age group. He was a member of the board of the New Orleans Lawn Tennis Club.
Shaw received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Louisiana State University. He was a graduate of Isidore Newman School.
He is survived by his wife of 41 years, Ann Thorpe Thompson; his son Michael and fiancée Sara of New Orleans; and his son William and daughter-in-law Siobhan, also of New Orleans; two sisters, Charlotte (Chotsie) Gregson and Marion (Nonnie) Preuss; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by two sons, Steven Louis Thompson and Kenneth Barnshaw Thompson, IV; a daughter, Jon Bannon Thompson; and his parents, Marilee Arnaud Thompson and Kenneth Barnshaw Thompson, Jr.
Shaw’s family requests that donations in his honor be sent to Children’s Hospital or Bridge House/Grace House or the charity of your choice. Kindly omit sending flowers to the family.
Private services were held for Shaw Jan. 4.
https://obits.nola.com/us/obituaries/nola/name/kenneth-thompson-obituary?id=32096784
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