Thomas Thornton

Thomas (Tom) William Thornton 82, of Woodstock, IL passed away surrounded by his family on October 3, 2016 as a result of complications from a fall in his home.

He was born April 25, 1934 in Cleveland, Ohio the son of William and Lydia (Volenik) Thornton. Tom lived on the west side of Cleveland for thirty years. He attended Cathedral Latin High School on full academic scholarship, and earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Case Institute of Technology. Advanced studies were taken at Case Western Reserve University, resulting in a M. S. in Engineering Administration. His sales and marketing career spanned several decades, with roles of increasing responsibility in the electrical components and systems field at Clark Control, A. O. Smith, GTE Sylvania, Furnas Electric, Littelfuse Inc., and Klockner Moeller. He retired from Klockner Moeller in 2002 as the Vice President of Marketing of the U.S. Division.

Tom met the love of his life, Colleen Marie Burns, on a blind date during his college years, and married her on May 18, 1957 in Cleveland, Ohio. They originally made their home in Cleveland, and moved throughout their married life to Elm Grove, WI; Fairview Park, OH; Barrington, IL and Wrentham, MA before retiring in Woodstock, IL. Together they raised four children; Kathleen, Maureen, Dennis and Susan. Tom was lovingly called “Poppy” by his nine grandchildren.

Throughout his life Tom was guided by his strong faith. He and Colleen were active members of each of all their local Catholic parishes, forming strong bonds with fellow parishioners, which resulted in cherished lifelong friendships. He was inspired strongly by his fourth grade teacher, Sister Teresita, who remained a dear friend until her passing.

Tom was an avid golfer, a fan of baseball, a world traveler, and bridge player. He enjoyed spending time with all of his grandchildren. He will be dearly missed not only by his immediate family, but also by many friends of all ages who were nurtured by his calm, kind and gentle manner. He was a true gentleman in every aspect of his life.

Tom is survived by his wife, Colleen (Burns); children, Kathleen (Joseph) Linta of Branford, CT; Maureen (Terry) Kilhoffer of Crystal Lake, IL; Dennis (Christy) Thornton of Barrington, IL, Susan Cook of Bozeman, MT; grandchildren Timothy (Ashley), Steven and Michelle Cook, Nicholas and Thomas Joseph (TJ) Linta, Sarah and Anna Kilhoffer, Sofi and Sean Thornton; sisters-in-law JoAnn Seitz, Ellen Cowher, Noreen Thornton, and many wonderful nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his parents and brother William.

Memorials in Tom’s name may be made to either the Woodstock JourneyCare Hospice Center at www.journeycare.org, or the Guardian Angel Scholarship Fund, which provides tuition assistance for early childhood education. Checks for the Guardian Angel Scholarship Fund can be made in memory of Tom to St. Mary’s Guardian Angel Fund, 312 Lincoln Avenue, Woodstock IL 60098.

A celebration of life will be held on Sunday, October 9 from 4-8 p.m. at Davenport Family Funeral Home, 419 E Terra Cotta Ave (Route 176) Crystal Lake, IL. Funeral Mass will be at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 312 Lincoln Ave, Woodstock, IL on Monday, October 10 at 10 a.m. Internment will immediately follow Mass at Calvary Cemetery in Woodstock Illinois.