Richard Orvorne Thornton's Obituary
Richard (Rick) Orvorne Thornton, Jr. of Thonotosassa, FL passed away at the age of 70 on March 3, 2023, after a long courageous battle against cancer. Rick was born on March 14, 1952, in Augusta, GA. He lived in Mobile, AL until his junior year in high school at which time his family moved to Tampa, FL. He graduated from Robinson High School in 1970 and graduated from the University of South Florida with a bachelor’s degree in business in 1974. He purchased Marley Furniture Company in 1978 and ran a successful business with his wife, Libby. Rick married the love of his life on August 5, 1972. He was a patient and caring person who cherished time with his family. He enjoyed the outdoors fishing, hunting, and golfing. He was involved in many community projects and made lifelong friends along the way. He had a long, fulfilling and successful life. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Elizabeth (Libby) Thornton, daughter Cynthia (Cyndi) Santiago, son-in-law Edwin Santiago, son Richard (Jay) Thornton, brother Thomas (Tom) Thornton, sister-in-law Susan Thornton, grandchildren, Lydia Santiago, Emma Santiago, Aiden Santiago, Richard (Shane) Thornton, Makenna Thornton, Kayson Underwood, and Ethan Thornton, preceded in death a sister Rebecca Oehlers (2020), many dear friends. Services will be held at Sunset Memory Gardens, 11005 N US Highway 301, Thonotosassa, FL 33592, on Saturday, March 11, 2023, at 1:00 p.m.
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