Born in Waterford, Ohio on May 19th, 1939, Roy Maxwell Thornton was an extraordinary man: a life-long learner, a seeker of knowledge, a tech pioneer in the age of mainframe computers and punch cards, a life-long supporter of civil rights, women’s rights, and human rights, a lover of the arts, and a gifted and humorous teller of stories. Roy was dedicated to making the world a better, better informed, and more just place for workers, colleagues, friends, and—most of all—for the wife and family to whom he dedicated his life.
Roy met the love of his life, Patricia, at Zanesville High School in Zanesville, Ohio, from which the two graduated in 1957. Roy dedicated two years of service to the United States Air Force while Pat attended nursing school at Bethesda Hospital School of Nursing in Zanesville. Stationed at both Lakenheath and Mildenhall in Great Britain, Roy attended the Royal Ballet to see Margot Fonteyn dance, learned how to make a fabulous cup of tea and fluffy scrambled eggs frequently requested by his family, and returned to the States to marry Pat and begin life together in Columbus, Ohio. Roy enrolled at the Ohio State University in 1961, and daughters Debbie arrived in 1963, Julie in 1964, and Kathy in 1967.
A powerful man and a talented athlete, Roy was a high school football star who avidly and ably played every and any sport: football, tennis, racquetball; he even made the occasional foray into golf, a move that frustrated players who worked hard at the sport. He loved long distance biking and sailing, and he passed his gifts on to Kathy, another talented athlete whom he supported and taught with diligence and patience.
Roy dedicated his life to his work, and he worked tirelessly so that he could give his family a life filled with every advantage he could possibly offer them. Roy devoted twenty years to building the Information Technology department at the SM Flickinger Company, first in Columbus, Ohio and then in Buffalo, New York and another twenty-three years to moving Weis Markets in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania through the tech revolution and into the 21st century. Ever civically minded, Roy was president of the Lewisburg Rotary Club, where he campaigned for women to have equal status in the organization. Roy ushered in the first female president of the Rotary Club in his wake; in addition, Roy campaigned at both the SM Flickinger Company and Weis Markets for equitable pay for women.
Roy and Pat retired to York, South Carolina, in 2007. There, Roy and Pat built a beautiful final chapter of their married life in sunny South Carolina, nurturing and caring for their home, their gardens, and one another. They lavished love on grandchildren Kayleigh, Sara, Shelby and Michael and adored their great grandchildren Tricia, Jackson, Christopher, and Willow.
Roy is pre-deceased by his cherished daughter Deborah, and he is survived by his beloved wife Patricia (nee Daniel); daughters Julie Olsen and Kathy Taylor; son in law Mark Taylor, grandchildren Kayleigh (Joseph), Sara (Charles), Shelby, and Michael; and great-grandchildren Patricia, Christopher, Jackson, and Willow. Roy had an endless love for Pat, for life, and for his family, and he will be endlessly missed.
There will be a a visitation at 10 AM on Friday, July 12, 2024 at Greene Funeral Home Northwest Chapel, 2133 Ebenezer Road, Rock Hill, SC, 29732. The funeral ceremony will start at 11 AM with Mr. Caleb Young officiating. The burial will take place after the service at Grandview Memorial Park Hollis Lakes, 401 Hollis Lakes Rd, Rock Hill, SC 29732.
Condolences may be made at greenefuneralhome.net.