Obituary of George A. Thornton III

1945-2020 George Anderson Thornton, 75 of Glenville, NY passed away peacefully on November 11, 2020 at the Stratton VA Medical Center with his friends by his side. He was born in Niskayuna, NY on June 21, 1945, a son of George A. and Doris (Decker) Thornton and grew up in Glenville. George was an Honor Graduate of Scotia- Glenville High School class of 1963, many times leaving detention to attend the National Honor Society, much to the chagrin of Mr. McGuire, the Principal. Upon graduation, George attended Oregon State University and upon his return to New York, George enlisted in the US Navy for a three-year stint in Viet Nam as a Fire Technician. George’s greatest remembrance was when his ship, the USS Rupertus (DD-851) helped put out the fire on the USS Forrestal, an aircraft Carrier where 161 men died and 134 were wounded. One of the men saved was John McCain. After service, George was employed by The General Electric Company as a shift leader in its Telecommunications and Information Processing Center in Schenectady. In 1985 he became the proprietor of “Let George Do It”, a business he enjoyed daily making many friends of his customers. He also started the “free stuff” table on Saratoga Road, one of Glenville’s greatest visited stops. George loved fishing, big dogs, and fast cars, but most of all the NYT crossword puzzles. Survivors include his brother Matt, his “sister” Maureen Thornton O’Connor (Bill), his nephew Robert of Cincinnati, and many cousins and friends too numerous to list. The family would like to thank the Stratton VA Medical Center Staff for his care and especially the dedicated staff on 9-B for their wonderful, compassionate care. In lieu of flowers, George has requested that donations be made to The Animal Protective Foundation at 53 Maple Avenue, Scotia, New York 12302 in his memory. George will be buried at the family plot in the Pine Grove Cemetery in Charlton, NY, at a later date. A memorial ceremony will also follow at a later date.