Captain Joseph Hardin Thornton, Jr. USN (Ret.)
October 28, 1920 – December 3, 2011
Captain Joseph Hardin Thornton, Jr, who served as Supervisor of Shipbuilding at Mayport Naval Station 1971-74 and passed away Dec. 3, 2011. He was 91 years old and resided in the Jacksonville Beaches for 38 years.
Captain Thornton graduated from Webb Institute with a B.S. degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering in 1943 and served in the U.S. Navy 31 years. He was selected to attend a program in Naval Engineering at MIT 1947-50 and to attend the Naval War College in Newport, RI, 1959-60. He and his wife Scotty lived in 12 different duty stations including their favorites, Hawaii and Japan.
In 1974 he retired from active duty and traveled to Mexico, Greece, Morocco and Egypt where he assisted with international marine engineering projects under the International Executive Service Corps. Also he taught engineering at Jacksonville University and college courses in math, scientific report writing and oceanography aboard navy destroyers in the PACE program.
A founder of the Pablo Kiwanis Club in Jacksonville Beach, Joe served as its president and later served as Florida's Kiwanis Lt. Governor. He taught chess and worked with local school children.
Captain Thornton was born in Atlanta, GA, on October 28, 1920. He is survived by his wife of 68 years (Married in 1943), Gertrude L. "Scotty" Thornton, and his children, Elaine Simmerman and husband Barry of Lewes, DE, John Thornton and his wife Joan of Petaluma, CA, Janet Rust and husband Steve of Annandale, VA, and Barbara Boleda and husband Orlando of Bainbridge Island, WA. He is also survived by his grandchildren Laura Fow, Amanda Vaughn, Kyle Thornton, Michael and Rebecca Rust, Jenessa Coccaro, Marina and Alexis Boleda, and four great-grandchildren.
Joe had many interests including travel, stamp collecting, chess, tropical fish, calligraphy, sports, and crossword puzzles. He is remembered by his family for his integrity, lifelong commitment to learning, sense of humor, warm generosity, and adventurous spirit.
The family will receive friends from 10-11 a.m. Saturday, Dec 10th at HARDAGE-GIDDENS FUNERAL HOME, 1701 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach. The funeral service will immediately follow at 11:00 a.m. in the funeral home. Joe will be placed at rest, with military honors, at H. Warren Smith Cemetery.
Source: The Beaches Leader Newspaper, Jacksonville Beach, FL., Printed: Tuesday, December 6, 2011 6:00 pm, beachesleader.com.
October 28, 1920 – December 3, 2011
Captain Joseph Hardin Thornton, Jr, who served as Supervisor of Shipbuilding at Mayport Naval Station 1971-74 and passed away Dec. 3, 2011. He was 91 years old and resided in the Jacksonville Beaches for 38 years.
Captain Thornton graduated from Webb Institute with a B.S. degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering in 1943 and served in the U.S. Navy 31 years. He was selected to attend a program in Naval Engineering at MIT 1947-50 and to attend the Naval War College in Newport, RI, 1959-60. He and his wife Scotty lived in 12 different duty stations including their favorites, Hawaii and Japan.
In 1974 he retired from active duty and traveled to Mexico, Greece, Morocco and Egypt where he assisted with international marine engineering projects under the International Executive Service Corps. Also he taught engineering at Jacksonville University and college courses in math, scientific report writing and oceanography aboard navy destroyers in the PACE program.
A founder of the Pablo Kiwanis Club in Jacksonville Beach, Joe served as its president and later served as Florida's Kiwanis Lt. Governor. He taught chess and worked with local school children.
Captain Thornton was born in Atlanta, GA, on October 28, 1920. He is survived by his wife of 68 years (Married in 1943), Gertrude L. "Scotty" Thornton, and his children, Elaine Simmerman and husband Barry of Lewes, DE, John Thornton and his wife Joan of Petaluma, CA, Janet Rust and husband Steve of Annandale, VA, and Barbara Boleda and husband Orlando of Bainbridge Island, WA. He is also survived by his grandchildren Laura Fow, Amanda Vaughn, Kyle Thornton, Michael and Rebecca Rust, Jenessa Coccaro, Marina and Alexis Boleda, and four great-grandchildren.
Joe had many interests including travel, stamp collecting, chess, tropical fish, calligraphy, sports, and crossword puzzles. He is remembered by his family for his integrity, lifelong commitment to learning, sense of humor, warm generosity, and adventurous spirit.
The family will receive friends from 10-11 a.m. Saturday, Dec 10th at HARDAGE-GIDDENS FUNERAL HOME, 1701 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach. The funeral service will immediately follow at 11:00 a.m. in the funeral home. Joe will be placed at rest, with military honors, at H. Warren Smith Cemetery.
Source: The Beaches Leader Newspaper, Jacksonville Beach, FL., Printed: Tuesday, December 6, 2011 6:00 pm, beachesleader.com.
Captain Joseph Hardin Thornton, Jr. USN (Ret.)
October 28, 1920 – December 3, 2011
Captain Joseph Hardin Thornton, Jr, who served as Supervisor of Shipbuilding at Mayport Naval Station 1971-74 and passed away Dec. 3, 2011. He was 91 years old and resided in the Jacksonville Beaches for 38 years.
Captain Thornton graduated from Webb Institute with a B.S. degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering in 1943 and served in the U.S. Navy 31 years. He was selected to attend a program in Naval Engineering at MIT 1947-50 and to attend the Naval War College in Newport, RI, 1959-60. He and his wife Scotty lived in 12 different duty stations including their favorites, Hawaii and Japan.
In 1974 he retired from active duty and traveled to Mexico, Greece, Morocco and Egypt where he assisted with international marine engineering projects under the International Executive Service Corps. Also he taught engineering at Jacksonville University and college courses in math, scientific report writing and oceanography aboard navy destroyers in the PACE program.
A founder of the Pablo Kiwanis Club in Jacksonville Beach, Joe served as its president and later served as Florida's Kiwanis Lt. Governor. He taught chess and worked with local school children.
Captain Thornton was born in Atlanta, GA, on October 28, 1920. He is survived by his wife of 68 years (Married in 1943), Gertrude L. "Scotty" Thornton, and his children, Elaine Simmerman and husband Barry of Lewes, DE, John Thornton and his wife Joan of Petaluma, CA, Janet Rust and husband Steve of Annandale, VA, and Barbara Boleda and husband Orlando of Bainbridge Island, WA. He is also survived by his grandchildren Laura Fow, Amanda Vaughn, Kyle Thornton, Michael and Rebecca Rust, Jenessa Coccaro, Marina and Alexis Boleda, and four great-grandchildren.
Joe had many interests including travel, stamp collecting, chess, tropical fish, calligraphy, sports, and crossword puzzles. He is remembered by his family for his integrity, lifelong commitment to learning, sense of humor, warm generosity, and adventurous spirit.
The family will receive friends from 10-11 a.m. Saturday, Dec 10th at HARDAGE-GIDDENS FUNERAL HOME, 1701 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach. The funeral service will immediately follow at 11:00 a.m. in the funeral home. Joe will be placed at rest, with military honors, at H. Warren Smith Cemetery.
Source: The Beaches Leader Newspaper, Jacksonville Beach, FL., Printed: Tuesday, December 6, 2011 6:00 pm, beachesleader.com.
October 28, 1920 – December 3, 2011
Captain Joseph Hardin Thornton, Jr, who served as Supervisor of Shipbuilding at Mayport Naval Station 1971-74 and passed away Dec. 3, 2011. He was 91 years old and resided in the Jacksonville Beaches for 38 years.
Captain Thornton graduated from Webb Institute with a B.S. degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering in 1943 and served in the U.S. Navy 31 years. He was selected to attend a program in Naval Engineering at MIT 1947-50 and to attend the Naval War College in Newport, RI, 1959-60. He and his wife Scotty lived in 12 different duty stations including their favorites, Hawaii and Japan.
In 1974 he retired from active duty and traveled to Mexico, Greece, Morocco and Egypt where he assisted with international marine engineering projects under the International Executive Service Corps. Also he taught engineering at Jacksonville University and college courses in math, scientific report writing and oceanography aboard navy destroyers in the PACE program.
A founder of the Pablo Kiwanis Club in Jacksonville Beach, Joe served as its president and later served as Florida's Kiwanis Lt. Governor. He taught chess and worked with local school children.
Captain Thornton was born in Atlanta, GA, on October 28, 1920. He is survived by his wife of 68 years (Married in 1943), Gertrude L. "Scotty" Thornton, and his children, Elaine Simmerman and husband Barry of Lewes, DE, John Thornton and his wife Joan of Petaluma, CA, Janet Rust and husband Steve of Annandale, VA, and Barbara Boleda and husband Orlando of Bainbridge Island, WA. He is also survived by his grandchildren Laura Fow, Amanda Vaughn, Kyle Thornton, Michael and Rebecca Rust, Jenessa Coccaro, Marina and Alexis Boleda, and four great-grandchildren.
Joe had many interests including travel, stamp collecting, chess, tropical fish, calligraphy, sports, and crossword puzzles. He is remembered by his family for his integrity, lifelong commitment to learning, sense of humor, warm generosity, and adventurous spirit.
The family will receive friends from 10-11 a.m. Saturday, Dec 10th at HARDAGE-GIDDENS FUNERAL HOME, 1701 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach. The funeral service will immediately follow at 11:00 a.m. in the funeral home. Joe will be placed at rest, with military honors, at H. Warren Smith Cemetery.
Source: The Beaches Leader Newspaper, Jacksonville Beach, FL., Printed: Tuesday, December 6, 2011 6:00 pm, beachesleader.com.
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