Jimmy R. Thornton was born in Groom, Texas, on the 26th of June in 1950. He grew up with his family in the Texas Panhandle area, where they farmed and lived a country life. As a kid Jimmy enjoyed hunting, farming, pranking and driving his brothers crazy. As Jimmy got older hunting turned into studying where he received a Bachelor degree from West Texas State University, and farming turned into the medical field where he was a Medical Laboratory Technologist up until his retirement at age 65.

Jimmy had three kids, his son Joseph Thornton of Dallas, Texas, his son John Thornton of Denison, Texas, and his daughter Breanna Thornton also of Denison, Texas, as well as three step daughters Elizabeth Schaack of Denison, Texas, Sarah Schaack of Denison, Texas, and Rachel Schaack-Brede of Denison, Texas, whom he loved as his own.

Some of Jimmy’s favorite memories - other than being there for all of his kids, were of growing up in the Texas Panhandle where he helped his family run the farm and local store by day and spot lighted mountain lions by night, and living in Howe, Texas, where the Thornton family had made a name for themselves as a jack of all trades family that built homes from reused wood from frontier houses, built bicycles, and helped build the Lake of Texoma Denison Dam.

Jimmy enjoyed the simple things in life that ended up meaning the world to others. He was a selfless, God loving/fearing man who was also caring, funny, and respectful. He spent years going to the same coffee shop in Howe, Texas, previously known as M&M’s, where he would sit for hours and chat with friends. Jimmy was a handy man who always tried to fix things before calling them broke, and he loved to share his knowledge as well as family stories/history.

One of the many favorite stories of Jimmy's was of a family trip to Galveston, where his oldest son, Joe, thought it would be funny to yell shark while the family was swimming. Breanna, Jimmy’s daughter, was tossed off of her dad's shoulders toward the beach, so that he could race to save his sons who were still in the water, and punch that shark right in the nose! Thankfully there was never a shark, but that day Joe learned the lesson about the boy who cried wolf. Jimmy R. Thornton’s death was unexpected on Monday, July 6, 2020, but his family knows he lived a full life, and he would have told ya so too. Other than his children, Jimmy is survived by Nadine Thornton, his sister-in-law of Groom, Texas, his niece Connie Britten, nephews Troy Thornton, Bruce Thornton, Brent Thornton, and Curtis Thornton, and cousins. 

Jimmy was preceded in death by his father R.B. Thornton of Groom, Texas, his mother Lula Lynn Smith of Groom, Texas, his brother Joe Thornton of Groom, Texas, and his brother Jerry Thornton, also of Groom, Texas.

Jimmy, like his family before him, has left a mark on the world but a hole in our hearts with his unexpected passing. He is deeply missed and loved, his family & friends couldn’t be more proud to have had such a wonderful man in our lives!