James Joseph Thornton, Jr.

James Joseph Thornton, Jr.

James (Jim) Thornton Jr., beloved father, grandfather, brother, and uncle, passed away on Friday, August 27, 2021, at Whisper Woods Assisted Living Facility, Smithtown, after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 88.

Jim was a gentle, kind, loving soul. He was born in Flushing, New York to Marie Dolen Thornton and James Joseph Thornton on August 7, 1933. The family, which included his sister Josephine, and brother Gerard, resided on Ninth Avenue in Whitestone, New York.

Jim attended St. Luke’s Catholic Elementary School, graduating in 1947. While at St. Luke’s, he forged friendships that lasted a lifetime. Jim and his friends and their spouses spent many happy days gathering and traveling together through the years, and later in life, reminiscing in retirement.

Jim attended Xavier High School on Fifteenth Street in New York City, graduating in 1951. He was very proud of his education and his military training and often reminisced on the challenges the Jesuits provided.

Jim then moved on to Manhattan College, graduating in 1956 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering. This charted the course for his career with the Long Island Lighting Company, where he remained a loyal employee, advancing from staff engineer to department manager, until his retirement in 1995. He was a member of Hill Gun Club of Shandelee, NY for most of his adult life. Although never a hunter, he enjoyed many summer weekends relaxing with family and friends at the Club, often shooting targets or skeet with his 22 rifle.

During the course of his college years, Jim met the love of his life, Joan Anspake, at a tea dance, circa 1954, in the Cresthaven CYO Club in Whitestone, New York. Jim and Joan courted until April 1956, when they became engaged then married on November 10, 1956 at St. Ann’s Church in Flushing, New York. They welcomed and raised two children, Jim and Diana, in Huntington Station, where Jim and Joan remained until moving in retirement to Hemlock Farms in Hawley, Pennsylvania. Jim and Joan loved living in the mountains, but for many years continued to enjoy traveling, both in the U.S. and Europe. They also often found joy and laughs while visiting family and friends, telling stories of the old days and remembering the good times and funny events they were fortunate to have.

Jim was predeceased by his wife Joan, his parents James and Marie, and his sister Josephine. He leaves behind his beloved brother Jerry, his son and daughter-in-law, Jim and Pat of Bethel, Maine; daughter and son-in-law, Diana and Steve, of Smithtown; grandchildren Louis, Eva and husband Dan, Casey, Stefanie, and Sean, and a large extended family of nieces and nephews.

Donations in Jim’s memory may be made to the American Cancer Society.