Robert M. Thornton, Sr.

Born: 7/4/1938
Died: 4/12/2013

ROBERT M. THORNTON, SR.
Robert M. Thornton, Sr. age 74, of Newark, DE, passed peacefully after a battle with lung cancer, on Friday, April 12, 2013 at his residence, surrounded by his loving family.
Mr. Thornton was born in Selma, NC, the son of the late William E. Thornton and Sally G. Pittman Thornton, on July 4, 1938.
He proudly served his country in the U.S. Army National Guard and was a member of the J. Allison O’Daniel VFW Post #475 in Newark. Mr. Thornton had worked as a surveyor for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and had worked on the C&D canal. Later in life he owned several gas stations including the ARCO station in Newark, the Gulf station in Newark on Elkton Road, Newark Auto Repair on Barksdale Road and Old Baltimore Pike and Weltec on North Street in Newark. His passion was working on cars and completely restored his own 1950 Chevy truck. Mr. Thornton owned a boat and had his pilot’s license and owned his own airplane.
In addition to his parents, Mr. Thornton was preceded in death by his loving wife, Jennie T. Thornton, who died in 2011.
He is survived by his children, Robin Iler and her husband Jerry of Oxford, PA, Robert M. Thornton, Jr. and his wife Christine of Newark, DE, and Dawn Thornton of Newark, DE; sister, Anne Grabowski of Wilmington, DE; four grandchildren, Brittany, Jennie, Nathan and Chad; and three great grandsons, Chad, Anthony and Carter.
A funeral service will be held at 12:30pm on Wednesday, April 17, 2013, at Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Home, 121 W. Park Place, Newark, DE, where family and friends may visit after 11:30am. Interment will be in Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 2465 Chesapeake City Road, Bear.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Delaware Hospice, 3515 Silverside Road, Wilmington, DE 19810.