Dayton E. "Tony" Thornton

            Dayton E. “Tony” Thornton, 92, a resident of Princeton, Iowa died on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, at his home.

            A memorial service to celebrate his life will be held at 3:00 P.M. on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, at the McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Home in Bettendorf.  Burial will follow at Glendale Cemetery in LeClaire, Iowa where military honors will be conducted.  Visitation will be from 2:00 P.M to 3:00 P.M. on Tuesday at the funeral home.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Genesis Hospice or a favorite charity.

            He was born in Marquette, Iowa on March 1, 1931, the son of Edward and Althea May (Ruckhaber) Thornton and was a graduate of LeClaire High School.  On October 5, 1948, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and was honorably discharged on August 28, 1952.

            On April 12, 1952, he was united in marriage to Kathryn D. Jackson in LeClaire.

            Tony was employed by the Iowa/Illinois Gas & Electric Company, first as a lineman and later as a supervisor, retiring in 1994 after more than 40 years of employment.

            In the family’s own words, “Dad loved the outdoors and was most content when he was busy outside.  He was a great source of information on plants and birds.  His love of animals was evident in the menagerie of animals that he raised, from goats and chickens to homing pigeons, quail and even a buffalo and a deer. Although after raising chickens, he would never eat chicken again.  He passed his love of animals to his children and grandchildren.  He had a great sense of humor, often teasing his grandchildren and was a good listener for both family and friends even if he had no advice to offer.  After years spent climbing utility poles, he was quick to correct anyone trying to call it a telephone pole.  He valued family and was always willing to help us kids with home projects after we were out on our own while continuing to teach us we were capable of doing so many things."

            Those left to honor his memory include his beloved wife of 71 years, Kathryn; his children, Vickie (Bill) Thornton of Davenport, Terri Thornton of Firestone, Colorado, Cindy (David) Ramsay of Davenport, Julie (Tim) Keehn of Eldridge, Iowa and Mark (Stephanie) Thornton of Rock Island, Illinois; eight grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandson and a close and special friend, Dick Wales of LeClaire who was like a brother to all the siblings.

            He was preceded in death by seven sisters, one brother and one infant sibling.

            “Dad loved living in the country and dreaded the thought of living in town with close neighbors but was a great neighbor to those in his country community and they were great friends to him.  We are grateful that family and his country community allowed him to stay on the farm until the end.  A special thank you to Clayton Engler and family for all of your generous help.”

            Condolences may be expressed to the family by viewing Tony’s obituary at www.McGinnis-Chambers.com.