Today the Thornton and Uffelman families mourn the loss of my brother David Thornton, who peacefully passed away in his sleep this morning. Despite a slew of setbacks that would have devastated almost anyone, David lived a full life that far exceeded everyones expectations. We are truly thankful for the time he spent with us on this earth and that he found someone terrific to share the last 35 years, Rebecca Uffelman Thornton. He was well-loved and will be missed by mom Anniebell Thornton and his sisters and brothers Kellen Diamanti, Kathy Holton, Scott Alexander Thornton and I, as well as his nieces and nephews Amanda Maday Day, Trent Diamanti, Dimitri DIamanti, Andrew Thornton, Anne Marie Thornton and Brian Thornton. Some favorite stories of my brother: Our backyard in Fort Worth was big, flat and unfenced,making it the de facto sports complex for the neighborhood. We all played football, baseball, soccer, golf and frisbee there, sometimes to the dismay of our parents. David was in the middle of it. Literally. He played QB and pitched for both teams. Like a lot of things in his life, David found a way. Which reminds me. David played on the UTA Wheelchair Basketball team and received a trophy for the “foulest player.” Dad had a boat and would take us out on Lake Benbrook on the weekends, if nothing else to give our poor mother a break. One sunny day, David fell overboard and Dad had to dive in after him. I dont remember much, but I remember sitting next to David on the drive home. Theyre both soaking wet, but at least Dads not covered in grass. Grandmother and Pop, which is what we called our paternal grandparents, took David, Scott and I to Colorado and Wyoming on a couple of trips in the early 70s. Despite being seated 3 across for hours on end, they remained happily married. David loved everything about Texas A&M, and would have been a 3rd-generation Aggie but health issues forced him to stay close to home at UTA. His wardrobe the last few years was almost all A&M-branded. He went to several home games and traveled Alabama to meet up with our Bama-crazy cousins when we joined the SEC. But on the other hand, if he went to A&M he wouldnt have met his wife Becky! Despite our political disagreements, I suggested that he run for the city council a few times. He did become president of his Optimists Club, though. More to come. Its been a tough year for Cheryl Sillman Thornton and I. It was just six months ago that she lost her brother Steve.
Posted on: Sun, 30 Nov 2014 04:04:05 +0000