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MEMORIAL FUNERAL CHAPEL obituary
1515 SOUTH COLLEGE AVE, BRYAN, TX 77801 | 979-823-8125

Jack Thornton Jr.
July 4, 1932 - August 13, 2017

Funeral Service
Saturday, August 19, 2017 | 10:30 a.m.
Memorial Funeral Chapel
1515 South College Avenue, Bryan, Texas 77801
Driving Directions

Jack Thornton, Jr., 85, peacefully passed from this life and entered his heavenly home on August 13, 2017, at Clarewood House Retirement Community in Houston, Texas.
Funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, August 19, at Memorial Funeral Chapel in Bryan with Pastor Danny Green officiating. A viewing will be held from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service. The family will receive friends following the service at a reception at Skybreak Church Annex, 4010 Harvey Road, College Station, Texas 77845. Private family interment will be held at College Station Cemetery.
Jack was born July 4, 1932, in Beeville, Texas. He was the son of Jack Thornton, Sr. and Lila (Davis) Thornton. He grew up in Edroy, Texas, and graduated from Sinton High School in 1949.
Jack graduated from Texas A&M University in 1953 with a degree in Agricultural Education. He was a 1st Sergeant in the prestigious Ross Volunteer organization of the Corps of Cadets. He was also a Senior Commanding Officer of Battery A- AAA and served as a Student Senator. Upon graduation, he was commissioned as an officer in the United States Army at Ft. Bliss and completed his military service as a 1st Lieutenant of Air Defense Artillery.
Upon completion of his military service, Jack returned home and joined the family grocery business. He soon met the love of his life, Peggy Jane Parkey, and they were united in marriage August 25, 1956. To this union were born 3 sons and 1 daughter. Jack worked in the grocery business close to 50 years.
Jack always put faith and family above all else. He served the Lord in many leadership capacities throughout his life, including youth ministries and hospital ministries. He was a member of Skybreak Church in College Station.
Jack enjoyed sports, fishing, hunting, traveling, family activities and outings. His love of "all things" Texas A&M led to his retirement in College Station in 1998. Jack served his community throughout his life with countless volunteer hours with George Bush Presidential Library, Habitat for Humanity, Kiwanis Club, Odem-Edroy School Board, Odem Little League, and was a honorary lifetime member of the Odem Volunteer Fire Department.
Jack is preceded in death by his parents and sister, Beth Paslay.
He is survived by his wife of over 60 years, Peggy Jane Thornton; sons and daughters-in-law, Billy and Sharon Thornton of Apopka, Florida, Joe and Monica Thornton of San Antonio, John and Diane Thornton of Houston; daughter and son-in-law, Amy and Taylor Greene of Cypress; brother and sister-in-law, Bill and Jacqueline Thornton; brother-in-law, Jack Paslay; grandchildren, Shauna, Kyle, Travis, Lindsey, Allison, Natalie, Melanie, Angela, Charlotte, Jackson and Ross; and a great-grandson, Jacob.
Pallbearers will be Kyle Thornton, Travis Thornton, Jackson Greene, Ross Greene, Trevor Mattson and Jonathon Poe. Honorary pallbearers will be Bryant Davis, Worth Davis, Eugene Davis, Robert Whatley, Marvin Dvoracek, Weldon Kruger, Jimmy Holder and the Texas A&M College Corps of Cadets Class of 1953.
In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to at www.act.alz.org/donate or Grace House Inc., P.O. Box 781283, San Antonio, Texas 78278 www.gracehousesa.org.
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(Published in) The (Bryan-College Station) Eagle (on) August 16, 2017

Thornton Jr., Jack

Jack Thornton Jr., of College Station, passed away Sunday, August 13, 2017. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, August 19 at Memorial Funeral Chapel in Bryan. A lunch reception will follow the service at Skybreak Church in College Station. Private family burial will be held at College Station Cemetery.