“You knew you had a helping hand when you needed it,” said Royal Freeman about the late Quincy “Q.T.” Thompson.

Thompson, 76, lived in Charlotte County his whole life. He grew up one of 15 siblings. Everyone knew Thompson, Freeman said.

During much of his adult life, Thompson was employed by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office where he was the first African American sworn in, according to Sheriff Thomas Jones.

Freeman, captain at the sheriff’s department and a supervisor for Bacon/Saxe District, remembers fondly his earliest memory of Thompson.

As an elementary school student, Freeman reluctantly ended up in Thompson’s class during career day after the class he initially had wanted to attend filled up.

Freeman recalled Thompson saying to the class, “I hope one of y’all in this class, I might be working with one day.”

“I didn’t know that one day I might be working with him,” said Freeman. “It was meant for me to be in his class. I got to work with him for many years.”

Thompson was working as a lieutenant during many of the years Freeman worked with him, but that was only one of the many positions Thompson held during his 38 years with the department.

When he first began in August 1971, Thompson served as patrol deputy. He later served as an investigator, lieutenant and chief deputy. After he retired in 2002, Thompson stayed with the force as a part-time deputy sheriff until 2009.

“I think he just didn’t want to sit down,” Freeman said. 

Jones said, “he was an asset to this department and I don’t know of anyone who’s ever worked here under him who didn’t learn something.”

Ennis Jones, who is retired now, was a friend and co-worker of Thompson. Jones called Thompson a mentor and said Thompson showed him the correct way to police.

Outside of work, Thompson served in the Virginia Sherriff’s Association, as a Mason, with the volunteer fire department and with the rescue squad, according to his obituary.

“One of the things he was famous about was helping people, helping organizations,” said Jones. He said Thompson gave blood, was involved with the American Cancer Society and helped youth organizations.   

“I don’t think there’s anybody’s life in Charlotte County that hasn’t been touched by something he did,” Jones said.

“His theory was the county has been good to him, so he was totally dedicated to the best for the county and that meant he gave up his time,” said Ennis Jones.

Freeman said, “he was a role model and he inspired me.” He said Thompson was a very polite person, always saying “thank you ma’am” and “yes sir.”

“You don’t find that now. He was a real, real good person,” said Freeman.

Ennis Jones said, “you don’t meet many people like him on your life journey.”

“He was just always good,” Sheriff Jones said. “He always had a positive outlook on life. He just looked for the positive in life, he looked for the good in everybody.”

He said, “there wasn’t a better person that’s come through this town than Quincy Thompson.”