Bob and I just reconnected through the magic of Face Book a few months ago after over 40 years had past since our Navy days. It was great to talk to him on the phone . My memory of Big Bob was we worked in the galley together and Bob would always bring a cassette tape player of all his Motown favorites that woul always get him to sing and dance will he worked in that hot place  to keep us upbeat.He was a lot of fun for all of us who knew him then. Being in that hot galley would not be fun at all if Bob was not there. My prayers go to Bobs wife and family and may they find comfort knowing Bob is with the Lord in heaven.God bless you all....

I have many fond memories of Bob, but one stands out above most others. I had found the following quote in a Readers Digest magazine. I cut it out and taped it to the outside of my locker.    'Don't put off for tomorrow what you can do today, for if you liked it today, you can do it again tomorrow'.After awhile, Bob noticed the passage. He peeled it off my locker and taped it to the outside of his own locker! Soon, I noticed it missing, found it on his locker, peeled it off and re-taped it to my locker. Well, this went back and forth quite a few times; each time the passage gained a new layer of tape! Then one day,  Bob had it taped inside his locker. He would tease me relentlessly by pointing to it, reading it aloud, then closing his locker very ceremoniously and making a big deal about locking his lock! He was having a lot of fun!Some days he would start to walk away with his locker open but then loudly 'remember' to go back and lock it.... he knew exactly what he was doing and had not 'forgotten' at all. He was having a grand old time rubbing my nose in the fact that he had my passage and I couldn't get it back!Then one day, he walked into the berthing space and I pointed to the very same Readers Digest passage taped securely IN MY locker! I read it aloud and then locked my locker exactly like he did, very ceremoniously! He rushed to his locked locker, searched for the passage and was flabbergasted to find it gone! He was adamant that he never left his open locker unattended or unlocked while he was away from it... and he was right! He just could not figure out how I got my hands on it!What Bob didn't know was this....one day, I jotted down the serial number from his lock. I wrote the lock manufacturer, told them I was in Vietnam and had lost the key to 'my' favorite boot camp lock. At the next mail call, I recovered my passage with a key the company set me.I spent the next few weeks giving Bob a taste of his own medicine and making an obvious show of locking my locker! It was driving him crazy because he just could not figure out how I got it out of his locker! A short time later, I gave Bob the key to his lock. He was absolutely surprised, quite impressed..... and relieved to finally know how I got it back.And then on the day he was heading home and leaving the ship for good, I gave him the second key I had received from the lock company. He was very surprised that I had two keys!Now, a year or so after I got out of the Navy, my girlfriend  (now wife) and I went to visit Bob in Topinabee, MI. I handed him another key to his lock. He was speechless and then broke out in his usual boisterous laugh! It was only then that I told him I had requested THREE replacement keys to the lock and they had put them right in the mail to me!I still have that passage, somewhere, covered in many layers of yellowed tape; I wish I could find it.Bob was a great shipmate and friend.... I will never forget him.

My condolence to Thornton Family.  God Bless.Kathy Flory

I worked with Big Bob at Suburban Propane for several years. He was such a great guy. Took great care of his customers. They all loved him as did we. I will miss him so much.

OBITUARY

William "Big Bob" Robert Thornton, Jr.

March 15, 1952 – April 22, 2017

Merritt Funeral Home

Show your support

Add a Memory

Share Obituary

Get Reminders

Services