Sign In / Register
21 March 1960 – 3 July 2022
The Warkworth community lost one of its “larger than life” characters in July with the passing of Jamie Thompson. An unashamed petrolhead, Jamie’s love of all things motorised was legendary and was surpassed only by his love for his family – wife Julie, their children Darren, Bryce, Carl and Brieana, and two grandchildren.
Born at the Warkworth Cottage Hospital, Jamie made a statement from day one, weighing in at an impressive 11lbs 3oz. He was the youngest of Claude and Betty Thompson’s four children.
He spent a carefree childhood growing up on the Mahurangi River and around Lucy Moore Park, getting into mud fights with friends on the riverbank and rowing his Dad’s dinghy up the river to the weir. He learned to swim at the cement works and belonged to the Boys Brigade for a few years. His life-long interest in cars and trucks surfaced early, with one of his first birthday cakes being a truck carved out of a loaf of bread by his father.
His teenage years involved a lot of cruising in cars – always as the chauffeur for a good night out, which often ended with the rising sun on Sunday morning. He was well known on the streets of Warkworth as he owned a Ford Prefect which changed colour every week to hide its identity, even to the point of impersonating a police car.
He left school around 14 and went to work with his brother Peter, before heading to the mines in Australia in 1978. It was a big move for a young Warkworth lad, but his skill as a machinery operator was soon recognised. It was said that he could hop on to almost any machine, start it up and drive it.
Eventually, he returned and went into business with Peter, working on various development, construction and transportation projects, locally and nationally. He was the first person to get a Vehicle Piloting Certificate and he specialised in transport machinery. He was a great problem solver, particularly when it came to anything transport-related. There was nothing he liked better than hearing someone say it couldn’t be done. He had an eye for detail and a job wasn’t finished until it was done properly. Jamie also enjoyed passing on his knowledge to the next generation of workers and was heard on more than one occasion to say, in his measured way, “I’ll tell you this once and once only, that this is the right way to do it. Have you got it?”
Classic cars and car racing were his passion, particularly Bathurst and, in later years, drift racing. He was the catalyst in his son Carl’s drift racing career, was a member of the crew and his endless support is what drove Carl to become a talented drift racer in his own right. Jamie’s love of speed also extended to boats. His jet boat Skid Row used to race up and down the Mahurangi River, which was not always appreciated by nearby residents.
One of his greatest projects was Shed 99 on the Carran Road property, which housed quirky artwork, sculptures and humorous signage, as well as classic cars and even a Kenworth prime mover. His passion for history turned the shed into a museum filled with memorabilia, much of it about the local district. He even created a Dunny Room, which showcased toilets through the eras from pull chain to push button, that was featured on national radio. The shed became a venue for weddings, funerals, Christmas parties and Hot Rod Club get-togethers. With his love for GT Falcons, Jamie became heavily involved in the GT Falcon Club in NZ and was made a Life Member just before he passed.
Friends described Jamie as loyal, warm, approachable, loving and loads of fun, and the model of what a best mate should be. He was also remembered by friends and family as a renowned prankster.
Jamie was diagnosed with heart disease three years ago. He spent his last years completing projects on his property and spending quality time with his family.
