The Tompkins Times

THE Tompkins Times

August 2, 1953 – June 2, 2023

SPECIAL EDITION | REMEMBERING JOHN C. TOMPKINS

The Life and Times of John Charles Tompkins

JOHN was born in Greensboro, North Carolina to John Edward Tompkins and Hilda (Ebbers) Tompkins. Both of John’s parent’s were from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

As fate would have it — or perhaps, God’s divine purpose — ink ran through the veins of the Tompkins family. As a young child in the harsh winters of Canada, John Sr. took on the job of paperboy and worked his way to the top ending up at The Edmonton Bulletin. During the war, Hilda Ebbers took on a reporting job at The Bulletin. She caught the attention of many — endearingly known as “Jeep” because she was small and fast. John Sr. took notice too . . . a “special” notice.

After marriage, John and Hilda eventually landed in the U.S. where John began a long career with Howard Publications. Their work took them from Pocatello, Idaho to Greensboro, N.C. (where John and his brother Michael were born) to Chester, Pennsylvania (where his sister Patricia was born) to Hammond, Indiana where John Sr. became Publisher of The Hammond Times where he affectionately became known as “The Black Knight” because he always wore a black suit, tie and black shoes. Both John and his brother Mike began their newspaper careers in their youth at The Times. Like his father, John began as a paperboy and worked his way through the many departments of the news business learning what it took to run a newspaper.

Anyone that knew John would tell you he was a serious young man (and kid!) with a very strong will. John spent one year at Culver Military Academy and then went on to attend Illiana Christian High School where at the age of seventeen he met a young and shy fifteen-year-old named Cindy Hardcastle. John and Cindy dated through high school before John went off to Calvin College. After two years at Calvin, Cindy joined John there. They got married during her first year of college, but had to return to Hammond for John to help his father at The Hammond Times during a strike by the International Typographical Union.

Although John grew up in a Dutch Christian Reformed Church, Cindy’s mother told him he had to attend First Baptist Hammond in order to continue dating Cindy. Not many people could tell John what to do, but there was one person that was as tough as him — Eleanor Hardcastle, his mother-in-law. John loved hearing Dr. Jack Hyles speak at First Baptist. Faith was a huge part of John’s life. In

the Baptist church he went door-to-door soul winning every Saturday. Later in life he taught an ever-growing Sunday School class at Rockford First Assembly (now City First Church) and also spent time mentoring young men. Not only was John passionate about teaching others the importance of knowing God’s Word and how to study it, he was passionate about giving financially and building God’s Kingdom. Even into his last years, friends report how John would speak to them about his faith, pray with them, and invite them to learn how to study the Bible.

An entrepreneur at heart John wasn’t satisfied to work himself into a publishing position and remain in that role. He was a visionary and had dreams to build his own media company. It was after one of Dr. Jack Hyles’s sermons “Seven Steps to Success” that John put together on a napkin his plan to purchase his first newspaper. After gathering a few investors, among family and friends, at the young age of twenty-one, in 1975, John purchased his first newspaper, The Rochelle News-Leader in Rochelle, Illinois. John and Cindy packed what little possessions they had and left the city life of Chicago for a farm town in rural Rochelle.

John was an avid reader and believed he could learn anything from books. He devoured biographies and business books learning from the mistakes and successes of others. Studying the likes of Rupert Murdoch, The Scripps Family, and the newspapermen of London’s Fleet Street (to name a few) John was eager to begin looking for acquisitions. In 1978 (?) he purchased his second community newspaper in Central Illinois, The Clinton Daily Journal. And from there, he established News Media Corporation. With his brother Mike working by his side, he continued to acquire community newspapers for the next three decades in a span of nine different states. John not only knew the newspaper business, he knew people. He cared for his employees whom he always referred to as his “business family.” He also cared for and took great pride in the communities, and their histories, that News Media serves.

John and Cindy had three children together: Trina Marie born in 1977; John Warren (known as J.J.) born in 1979; and Amy Lynn born in 1981. At different times, in their own ways, each child has learned elements of the newspaper business and worked for News Media Corporation. Presently, J.J. Tompkins serves as CEO and President; Trina is a published author and Amy an artist and filmmaker. All children have an affinity for writing stories, print, and publishing. Ink still runs strong through the Tompkins veins.

At the young age of twenty-one, in 1975, John purchased his first newspaper, The Rochelle News-Leader in Rochelle, Illinois.

The many interests and hobbies of John

Kung Fu Tai chi

Reading Teaching

Sailing Rodeo

Motorcycle riding

Boating Bowling Dogs

Going to the movies

Quoting movies

Watching the same movie over & over

(He really loved movies!)

Talking on the phone

John’s Favorite Scriptures

IT’S impossible for us to share John’s favorite scriptures as most of his Bible was marked up with red-pen underlines and yellow highlights. He knew God’s Word and shared it often. The following selection includes verses and passages that we knew were special to him and that we often heard him quote.

“In the beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.” (John 1:1)

“So faith comes from hearing [what is told], and what is heard comes by the [preaching of the] message concerning Christ.” (Romans 10:17)

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified or dismayed (intimidated), for the Lord your God is with youwherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

“But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] Will gain new strength and renew their power; They will lift up their wings [and rise up close to God] like eagles [rising toward the sun]; They will run and not become weary, They will walk and not grow tired.” (Isaiah 40:31)

“For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God;” (Ephesians 2:8)

“Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven [standing firm and unchangeable]. Your faithfulness continues from generation to generation; You have established the earth, and it stands [securely].” (Psalm 119:89-90)

“For we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises]” (2 Corinthians 5:7)

Psalm 91 Hebrews 11 The Book of Ephesians

John C. Tompkins ~

A Few of John’s Favorite Books

“The Amplified Bible”

demption” by E.W. Kenyon

“Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap … and Others Don’t” by Jim

Collins

Buffet and David Clark

“Buffettology: The Previously Unexplained Techniques That Have Made Warren Buffett The Worlds Most Famous Investor” by Mary

“Kings and Priests” by David R. High

“The Art of War” by Sun Tzu

“The Father and His Family: God’s Plan for Our Re-

“Understanding Your Potential: Discovering the Hidden You” by Myles

Munroe

“The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle

“Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!” by Robert

T. Kiyosaki

“The Fourth Dimension” by Dr. David Yonggi

Cho

John especially loved history, biographies of great leaders, business books, faith based books, and don’t tell him we told you so . . . but he also liked self-help and health books.

John’s Favorite Movies

The Godfather

Last of the Mohicans

Dances With Wolves

Tombstone

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Coneheads

Darkest Hour

What About Bob

Arthur Star Trek Movies

Bruce Lee Movies

Action

Drama Comedy (OK, he liked them all — but especially Action and Sci-Fi)

~ John C. Tompkins ~

Big John Talking

ANYONE who knew John, knew he was a talker. When Trina was a kid she often didn’t know how to explain her dad’s profession. Owning newspapers didn’t sound like something someone did at work all day so she explained it like this: “My dad reads newspapers and talks on the phone all day!”

John had quite the vocabulary, often leaving us scurrying to the dictionary to figure out exactly what he meant with “that” word. Here are a few words we’ve now added to our vocabulary. Maybe you will too (feel free to look them up at your own leisure):

Fastidious Feckless Superfluous Machinations

Capricious Capitulate

Histrionic Sycophant

Sardonic

Schnick (ok, we will define this one as it was a made up word, he liked those too).

[Shh-nik]: noun

A small bite or taste of someone else’s food. Often asked for when you didn’t order food that you really wanted, but pretended you didn’t. i.e. “Can I have a schnick of your cheeseburger?”

JOHN was also famous for one liners and idioms. We often heard him say, “In our company we have a saying . . . .”

“No decision is a decision”

“Numbers don’t lie”

“Cash is King”

“Tompkins don’t do that”

“I’ve had enough now”

“In our company we have a saying”

“I don’t do guilt”

“Leaders are readers”

“Make me”

“I don’t make decisions with a gun to my head”

“Don’t tell me what to do”

“Fish is brain food” (he was way ahead of the times on this!)

“Maintain low tones” (quoted from The Coneheads movie)

“Ya think?”

“People Don’t Change”

~ John C. Tompkins ~

And when he was ready to be done talking he had always had a canny way to end the conversation. Trina recalls hearing him ending a phone conversation like this:

“Let me, let you, let me go now.” We wish we didn’t have to let you go now, Dad. You left too soon.

But your larger than life presence will live on in your family and “business family.”

A bright light comes from your smile

Your eyes bee the sea

Crawl upon my lap and sit with me

From above to below

My god my ego

Thoughts of a man blend with musings of a God

Bleeding them in patterned ways

Then how do we bee-have

Reaching high like a bullet through a cloud

Raining blood Reigning proud

Beautiful mind put to the test

Finally at rest

Angels measuring

Angels watching

Angels always stalking -You-

You know them now

You walk with them now

The God man has a new plan

New creation fully realized

It was always in your eyes