Evelyn Husband Thompson
Evelyn was born and raised in the panhandle of Texas. She grew up in Amarillo and attended and graduated from Texas Tech University. Upon graduation, she worked a few years in her field of study, broadcasting, in the DFW area. She married Rick Husband and began a military life of moving every few years around the country and world.
After years of infertility, God blessed them with two children, Laura and Matthew. Rick’s military career lead to his acceptance at NASA as an astronaut candidate. He flew in space on two missions. On February 1, 2003, when the space shuttle Columbia broke apart just minutes before its scheduled return to earth, America lost seven heroes, Evelyn Husband, wife of Columbia’s commander Rick Husband, lost much more—the love of her life, the father of her children, the backbone of her family. Suddenly, Evelyn was thrust into a life she never could have imagined.
With extraordinary grace and unexplainable peace, she has inspired millions across the country and has become and endearing figure to media worldwide. Author of High Calling: The Courageous Life and Faith of Space Shuttle Commander Rick Husband (Thomas Nelson, 2004) and noted speaker, she travels throughout the United States encouraging audiences with her story of triumph over tragedy and message of finding hope in the midst of life’s trials.
In January, 2008 Evelyn married the second love of her life, Bill Thompson. A widower himself, Bill is a man who is familiar with loss and grief, whose convictions are deep, and whose love for Evelyn and his family is second only to his love for the Lord. Together they serve the Lord at church and several ministries including Fathers in the Field, a ministry for fatherless boys.
Evelyn is also on the board of the Astronaut Memorial Foundation and the Texas Board of Examiners for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists as a public member. She is a leader with Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) and Bill is involved as well. Together they enjoy time with their blended family and find great joy being with their four beautiful granddaughters.