Ezra was born on February 2, 1932 in Norwich, New York, to Ezra John and Maize May (Reynolds) Horton. He had three siblings, two brothers and a sister. He had blue eyes the color of the ocean and red hair. In about 1956, he met his wife at a barn dance that was being held just a few towns away from his childhood home, and was married in 1957 to Eleanor Emogene Soule. They were married for 63 years and parted by her death in 2020. Growing up, he and his brothers helped their father with his automobile repair garage. In 1951, he did one season as a professional football player with the Norwich Y Giants. He participated in wrestling in high school, used that talent to join the United States Air Force in 1952, and retired from it in 1975. The military sent him to Japan several times to learn Judo to earn his 3rd Degree Black Belt. He was stationed in Maine, New York, Michigan, Colorado, Germany, and Wyoming. Ezra was scheduled to go to the Olympics in 1964 for the Judo Exhibition but was injured and was unable to participate. He did, however, attend many of the events at the 1972 Olympics with his three children.
He coached judo and some intermural sports for the military as well as played squash, handball and racquetball intramurals for the Air Force and won many tournaments. When he got out of the Air Force, he was the supervisor of the contract cleaning team at a major manufacturer. Ezra then went to work in the warehouse at a moving and storage company. He went back to janitorial work until the age of 87.
He continued playing racquetball well into his seventies and continued to win trophies. He also enjoyed traveling, taking pictures, walking/hiking, reading about cars, watching tennis, and spending time with his grandchildren.
He is survived by his daughter, Lisa (Horton) and Dan Hartman; son, Matthew and Mia Horton; granddaughters, Brittany Hartman, Alina (Horton) and Joseph Grill, Elizabeth (Horton) and Eric Nocon; grandson Kyle Hartman; great grandson, John Grill; his brother, Duane Horton and two nephews. He was preceded in death by his son, Mark Horton; his wife, Eleanor (Soule) Horton; his brother, Ovid Horton and his sister, Viola (Reynolds) Aldrich and a niece.
He will be laid to rest at Memorial Gardens in Colorado Springs with military honors.
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