Rick Thornton

Richard E. (Rick) Thornton, 74, of Wilmington, NC, beloved husband of Ann E. (Nally) Thornton, passed away July 21, 2018, following a long illness.

Born in Providence, RI, Rick was the son of Caris V. (Anthony) Thornton and Walter P. Thornton, and grew up in East Greenwich, RI. He leaves a daughter, Caris Drury, son-in-law David Drury, and grandchildren William and Lauren Drury.  He also leaves his brother David Thornton and his wife, Barbara Thornton, as well as nephew Eric Thornton and nieces Holly Christensen and Sarah Christensen.

Rick worked as a systems engineer for Raytheon Corporation for 42 years before retirement. He was a graduate of Fitchburg State College in Massachusetts. He had a variety of interests and was an amateur radio enthusiast, contacting other "ham radio operators" all over the world for many years.  While living in Groton, MA, he raised and showed Jack Russell Terriers.   He played guitar and enjoyed folk music and classical music, especially Mozart. When he moved to Marblehead, MA, Rick was active as a member of the board of Symphony-by-the-Sea.

A visitation gathering of family and friends will be held on Friday, July 27, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Andrews Mortuary, 4108 South College Road, Wilmington, NC 28409.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Symphony-by-the-Sea at P.O. Box 1425, Marblehead, MA 01945 or at www.symphonybythesea.org.