They know it’s just a bench. But for the Thompson family, that wooden seat overlooking the Caloosahatchee River means so much more.
It’s watching sunsets together and chatting about the future. Joyful days of fishing and shell collecting. The past. The future. Dreams. Hopes. Memories.
And it represents someone who’s no longer here: A husband, father and son.
Craig Thompson died suddenly Sept. 20, 2019, from an undetected, genetic heart disease. He was just 42 years old, leaving behind a stunned, grieving wife and their 4-year-old twins in Fort Myers.
After mourning for a few years, the family wanted to do something more to remember Craig. So Jaimee called her friend, Fort Myers Mayor Kevin Anderson, and he worked with Lee County Parks & Recreation to install a memorial bench on June 10, 2023, (Craig’s birthday) at the west end of Braman Avenue.
It’s the same spot where Jaimee and Craig used to sit and watch the sunset together, years ago, as they talked about their future and daydreamed about having kids one day. “We were down there often,” Jaimee says. “It’s such a serene, beautiful spot.”