James Patrick "J.P." Thornton

The Holy Spirit dwelled within J.P., and he allowed Spirit to guide him, Archangel Michael defend him, Jesus heal him and our Heavenly Father shepherd him. He was a channel of peace that drew so many of us to a deeper relationship with the Lord. With pure joy from his heart, his precious smile was infectious, and his laugh contagious. As a sports enthusiast, J.P. had a keen sense for retaining and reciting statistical data, with an analytical mind for sports play. Basketball was his passion, and he possessed a thorough understanding of every element of the game with football as a close second. Upon graduation from Assumption Catholic School, he was the recipient of the prestigious Katie Caples Award. J.P. was the manager of the Bishop Kenny boys basketball team. He was looking forward to transitioning to UNF in the fall of 2023, to attend classes and proudly accepted an invitation to manage the men’s Osprey basketball team. On Jaguar Sunday, he could be found in Section 136, TIAA Bank Field, rain or shine, cheering his beloved Jaguars to victory.

J.P. is survived by his parents, Patrick and Mary Pauline Thornton; sister, Ann Frances "Annie" Thornton; grandparents, Gayle Thornton and Annie Nasrallah; uncles, J.T. Thornton, Greg Thornton, Tommy Thornton (Tiffany) and Joe Nasrallah (Ellen); aunts, Katie Smith (Jere) and Karen Nasrallah; and his many cousins. He was preceded in death by his grandfathers, James Patrick Thornton and Raymond Nasrallah; and by his uncle, Raymond Nasrallah, II.

There will be a visitation with a Rosary on Friday, January 13, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. and a Memorial Mass to celebrate his life on Saturday, January 14, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at Assumption Catholic Church, 2403 Atlantic Blvd., Jacksonville Florida.

The family would like to extend its appreciation to Coach Gerald Buckley and Coach Matthew Driscoll for being a wonderful inspiration to J.P. throughout his life.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to Bishop Kenny High School, 1055 Kingman Avenue, Jacksonville, Florida 32207. Please specify on the check or enclosure that the gift is being made in memory of J.P. Thornton, III.