Obituary of Richard W. Thornton
Greenville - Richard W. Thornton, 84, passed away March 4, 2018, at a Bangor hospital. He was born November 26, 1933, in Bayonne, New Jersey, the son of Raymond W. and Esther W. (Schnell) Thornton. Dick grew up in Chatham, NJ and graduated from Madison High School in 1952. He graduated from Lafayette College in 1956 with a B.S. in Business Administration and later from Kean College with a Master’s Degree in Guidance. He taught middle school math and science and then worked as a guidance counselor in middle and high schools.
A U.S. Army veteran, Dick married Edythe Jane Brush on Dec. 22, 1962. They summered in Greenville for many years and moved permanently to Maine in 1991, living in Hartland and moving to Beaver Cove in 1996. Dick loved Maine in all seasons. He had helped build their camp and the year-round home in Beaver Cove. He had many hobbies, however, snowmobiling and building pleasure boats for Moosehead Lake were his passion; he built many canoes, a sail boat, and even a sturdy pram for his young son. He also enjoyed downhill and cross-country skiing, model trains, shooting pistols and rifles, furniture woodworking, antique cars, snowshoeing, bicycling and fishing. He belonged to the Moosehead Riders and Shirley Bog Busters snowmobile clubs.
Dick tried to make someone smile each day – please remember him this way.
He is survived by his loving wife, Edythe Thornton of Greenville; his son, Douglas Thornton and companion, Ewa Kubiak; and two grandchildren, Natalia and Nikolas Thornton, all of Branchville, NJ. He also leaves a cousin, Janet Peterson of Edison, NJ, and a sister-in-law, Joyce Bresee of Tampa, FL. He was predeceased by his parents and an infant brother, Warren Thornton.
At Dick’s request there will be no formal services and the family wishes to thank you all for sharing this piece of God’s country with them! Memorial contributions may be made to the People’s Methodist Church, PO Box 91, Greenville Jct., ME 04442. Arrangements are in the care of the Lary Funeral Home. Messages of condolence and memories may be expressed at www.laryfuneralhome.com.