HIGH FLIGHT
by John Gillespie Magee, Jr.
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ROADRUNNER REMEMBRANCE
The names posted below commemorate Roadrunners who have made their final flight since our October 2001 reunion. Other deceased Roadrunners can be added to this commemorative upon request.
Click on name to view obituaries or bios where available
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Obituaries are posted at the individual links above.
Jack R. Thornton died April 11. He was 89.
Jack was born March 6, 1921 in Dennison, Texas to Josephine and
Rembert Thornton. A memorial service with military honors was
held at 11 a.m., April 23 at Hooper & Weaver Mortuary, 459 Hollow
Way, Nevada City. Jack graduated from Dennison High School in
1939, after which he attended college at Texas A&M for two years,
before enlisting in the U. S. Air Force on Nov. 3, 1943. He received
stateside flight training and departed for battle in World War II in
Europe in July of 1944. While stationed in England, he successfully
completed 35 bombing missions piloting a B-17 Flying Fortress. Nearing the war's end,
he was assigned to fly numerous missions in conjunction with the Berlin Air Lift. He
returned to the United States in March 1945. While continuing his military career, he met
the love of his life Alice Wagner and they married on July 7, 1951 at Mather Air Force
Base in Sacramento. In 1961, Jack took an assignment at Groom Lake also known as
Area 51 in Nevada where he was involved in the development of the A-12 Program. He
moved with the SR-71 Program to Beale Air Force Base in 1964 where he completed his
military career in 1972, retiring as a lieutenant colonel after 31 years of service. Jack
retired in Nevada City and went to work at Hills Flat Lumber and later at SPD in the
hardware department where he retired after 10 years. Jack was an avid golfer and an
active Nevada County Country Club member. Jack is survived by his wife of 58 years,
his daughter and son-in-law, Terri and John Casci of Rough and Ready; son, Paul
Thornton of Mt Shasta; grandchildren Shannon Casci, Shaun Hansen, Jason Cobb, Sara
Thornton and Anna Thornton. Jack is predeceased by his daughter Jill Cobb. In lieu of
flowers, please send donations to Alzheimer Aid Society of Northern California, PO Box
1824, Sacramento, CA 95812.