Francis "Ken" Kenneth Thornton

Francis Kenneth Thornton (Ken)
March 17, 1943-August 30, 2015

Ken Thornton, 72, passed away peacefully on August 30, 2015 at Kate B. Reynolds Hospice Home surrounded by his loving wife and children following a short struggle with advanced melanoma. Ken was born to Francis Kenneth Thornton, Sr. and Jane Weyforth Thornton in Baltimore, MD on St. Patrick's Day bringing great joy to his Irish grandmother. He was a proud graduate of Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. He spent his whole career in the grocery business beginning in high school as a part-time cashier for a neighborhood deli where he fell in love with Carol, another high school cashier. He later worked for A&P in the stores and purchasing department, a food broker, a distributor and wholesaler. In the early 1990's he moved to Denver as a Purchasing Manager for Pace Membership Warehouse, and followed that with a brief stint in consulting, returning to purchasing management with a move to Minneapolis. In 2004, he moved to Virginia Beach as a Purchasing Executive for Dollar Tree stores. In retirement, he was regularly consulted by a wide circle of contacts because of his extensive knowledge of so many facets of the grocery industry. Ken was an active volunteer as a baseball and basketball coach when his children were growing up. He later coached the Augsburg Lutheran Church basketball team. He was an avid fan of the Baltimore Orioles. He served as HOA president in multiple communities and was an active member in his Virginia Beach and Winston-Salem churches. He is survived by his loving wife Carol; a daughter, Dr. Cindy Bacon (Mark); his sons, Scott Thornton (Rose) and Matthew (Jennifer) and three granddaughters- Erica Thornton, Erin Bacon, and Allison Bacon. He was predeceased by his parents and brother Michael. We will all miss Ken's terrific sense of humor. The family would like to thank his caregivers at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital and the Kate B. Reynolds Hospice Home. A memorial service will be held at 3:00pm on Saturday, September 5, 2015 at Augsburg Lutheran Church, 845 West Fifth St., Winston-Salem. Graveside services will follow at 2:30pm on Saturday, September 12th at Dulaney Valley Cemetery in Baltimore, MD. 200 East Padonia Road 21093 In lieu of flowers, the family request that memorials be made to Augsburg Lutheran Church. Online condolences may be made at www.hayworth-miller.com.

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