David Kenneth Thornton (Ken), 80, passed on August 22nd, 2026. He was born on December 7th, 1945, the son of Robert McCluney and Sara Smith Thornton, and grew up in Gadsden, AL. He was a kind and loving husband, father and friend. He and his wife, Sandra Thompson Thornton, were married for 53 years. Their devotion to one another was apparent in his final years as they were a team trying to fight his illness.
He leaves behind two children, Karen (Tim) Poteet, of Traverse City, MI and David (Ann) Thornton, of Peachtree City, GA. His children have fond memories of summers on the lake, vacations, and outdoor activities together. He is survived by four adoring grandchildren, Sophia and Cole Poteet and Anna Wallace and Sara Frances Thornton.
His favorite hobbies were hunting, fishing, riding his bike along the beach, sitting on the beach and spending time with friends and family. He was a member of Cartersville First Presbyterian Church. He was an active member of the Optimist Club for many years supporting fundraisers to provide opportunities for the youth in our communities. Ken served in the US Army for two years. He graduated from Gadsden High School, earned a BS in Engineering from Auburn University and worked with Georgia Power Company for 39 years.
A Celebration of Life Service will be conducted at 2:00 pm on Thursday, August 27, 2026 at Owen Funeral Home with Rev. Leigh Jones officiating. The family will receive friends from 1:00 pm until 2:00 pm on Thursday.
Please visit www.owenfunerals.com to leave online condolences for the family.
Flowers are accepted or you may make a donation to the First Presbyterian Church of Cartersville, or a memorial donation to the American Cancer Society at https://donate.cancer.org/.
