John Thornton, of Union, passed away Oct. 20.
He will be remembered for his dry sense of humor, his quick smile, his keen interest in life, his practical jokes, his laugh and his story telling. He was a kind hearted man who was honest and forthright. He was a strong, courageous, determined man who fought hard to recover from the effects of two strokes. Through it all he never lost his sense of humor.
John was always inquisitive about science and the natural world. He loved animals, especially cats, who also loved him. He built full sized wooden boats and model airplanes as a hobby and enjoyed events at the Owls Head Transportation Museum and the WWF Railway Museum in Alna. He played the harmonica. He loved bluegrass, picking up mandolin and banjo in his later years. He also tinkered with old John Deere tractors. He liked to watch the Fox news channel and talk politics.
John was born in Rockland, the son of Ida Mae (Foster) and James Thornton. He grew up in Thomaston, graduating from Thomaston High School in 1945. Thirteen days later, he entered the Army, training as a rifleman at Fort McClellan. He served in Italy with “H” company of the 350th Infantry until he was honorably discharged in February of 1946. He enlisted in the Navy in 1950 and served in the Korean War in the Pacific Fleet on LSTs and LSMs until honorably discharged in 1954. He was a longtime member of the American Legion.
For a time
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