Billy George Thornton
1/6/1935 3/12/2018
Billy George Thornton, age 82, of Texarkana, TX passed away March 22, 2018. Billy was born the son of John
William and Eula Putman Thornton on January 6, 1936 in Ozan, AR. He graduated from High School in Hope, AR
and entered Texarkana Junior College, later leaving there to volunteer for the U.S. Army on Sunday, January 30,
1955. He took pride in his ability to serve his country in the military and is recognized as a Korean War Veteran.
With the benefit of the GI Bill and his wife working to put him through school, he graduated from the University of
Arkansas with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 1961. He gave generously to the University of
Arkansas alumni association and regularly attended Razorback home games. He was a member of the Texas
Society of Professional Engineers (SPE), President of the Sulphur River Chapter of the Texas SPE, and a
Registered Public Surveyor in Texas. He began his career with the Federal Highway Administration and retired
from Red River Army Depot after 30 years. Billy was gracious with his volunteer work – assisting with causes he
cared about, such as the American Red Cross Disaster Relief and the U.S. Census. He was also a member of the
Red River Rod & Gun Club.
In addition to his parents, Billy was preceded in death by his first wife and mother of his two daughters, Janis Goad
Thornton; his sister Hazel Thornton Hoosier; his brother John Thornton Jr.; and his long-time companion Linda
White.
He is survived by two daughters, Ramona Thornton of Asheville, NC and Myra Maddox of South Carolina; one son-
in-law, Jim Cummings of Asheville, NC; two stepsons, Todd and Jared Jones of Texarkana, TX; six grandchildren,
Clint Maddox of Rochester, NY; Abigail Maddox of Bauxite, AR; Sonya Brister of Texarkana, AR; Steven Lusk of
San Antonio, TX; Sophia and Isabella Cummings of Asheville, NC; two great-grandchildren, Hunter and Evan
Stinson of Bauxite, AR; two very special friends, Loretta Tolley of Alabama and Stuart McDonald of Texarkana, TX.
Billy was a Christian and loved his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and was a long-time member of Hooks First
Baptist Church. He enjoyed traveling and seeing the world, visiting several countries located in six of the seven
continents (with the same pair of Timberland boots)! Billy had an adventurous spirit and enjoyed activities such as
mountain hiking, skydiving and hang gliding. He was also a health and fitness enthusiast – he enjoyed spending
time power-walking in the mall with his friends. He was a distance runner and placed first in the only full marathon
he ever attempted. He felt blessed and frequently expressed gratitude to have close friends that cared about him.
Services for Billy will be at 10:00 A.M. Wednesday March 28, 2018 at Chapelwood Funeral Home with Rev. David
Blase and Rev. Roy Ford officiating. Burial will follow in Chapelwood Memorial Gardens.
Visitation will be from 4:30 to 6:00 P.M. Tuesday March 27, 2018 at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Tri- State Alzheimer’s Alliance, 100 Memory Lane, Texarkana,
Texas 75503.
The family would like to express our deepest appreciation to Dinah Crank, Marie Martin and C-C Senior Christian
Caregivers for the love, compassion, friendship and support that was shown to Billy.
William and Eula Putman Thornton on January 6, 1936 in Ozan, AR. He graduated from High School in Hope, AR
and entered Texarkana Junior College, later leaving there to volunteer for the U.S. Army on Sunday, January 30,
1955. He took pride in his ability to serve his country in the military and is recognized as a Korean War Veteran.
With the benefit of the GI Bill and his wife working to put him through school, he graduated from the University of
Arkansas with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 1961. He gave generously to the University of
Arkansas alumni association and regularly attended Razorback home games. He was a member of the Texas
Society of Professional Engineers (SPE), President of the Sulphur River Chapter of the Texas SPE, and a
Registered Public Surveyor in Texas. He began his career with the Federal Highway Administration and retired
from Red River Army Depot after 30 years. Billy was gracious with his volunteer work – assisting with causes he
cared about, such as the American Red Cross Disaster Relief and the U.S. Census. He was also a member of the
Red River Rod & Gun Club.
In addition to his parents, Billy was preceded in death by his first wife and mother of his two daughters, Janis Goad
Thornton; his sister Hazel Thornton Hoosier; his brother John Thornton Jr.; and his long-time companion Linda
White.
He is survived by two daughters, Ramona Thornton of Asheville, NC and Myra Maddox of South Carolina; one son-
in-law, Jim Cummings of Asheville, NC; two stepsons, Todd and Jared Jones of Texarkana, TX; six grandchildren,
Clint Maddox of Rochester, NY; Abigail Maddox of Bauxite, AR; Sonya Brister of Texarkana, AR; Steven Lusk of
San Antonio, TX; Sophia and Isabella Cummings of Asheville, NC; two great-grandchildren, Hunter and Evan
Stinson of Bauxite, AR; two very special friends, Loretta Tolley of Alabama and Stuart McDonald of Texarkana, TX.
Billy was a Christian and loved his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and was a long-time member of Hooks First
Baptist Church. He enjoyed traveling and seeing the world, visiting several countries located in six of the seven
continents (with the same pair of Timberland boots)! Billy had an adventurous spirit and enjoyed activities such as
mountain hiking, skydiving and hang gliding. He was also a health and fitness enthusiast – he enjoyed spending
time power-walking in the mall with his friends. He was a distance runner and placed first in the only full marathon
he ever attempted. He felt blessed and frequently expressed gratitude to have close friends that cared about him.
Services for Billy will be at 10:00 A.M. Wednesday March 28, 2018 at Chapelwood Funeral Home with Rev. David
Blase and Rev. Roy Ford officiating. Burial will follow in Chapelwood Memorial Gardens.
Visitation will be from 4:30 to 6:00 P.M. Tuesday March 27, 2018 at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Tri- State Alzheimer’s Alliance, 100 Memory Lane, Texarkana,
Texas 75503.
The family would like to express our deepest appreciation to Dinah Crank, Marie Martin and C-C Senior Christian
Caregivers for the love, compassion, friendship and support that was shown to Billy.
Billy George Thornton January 1, 1936 – March 22, 2018
I wish I could have said this at the funeral, but I hadn’t collected my thoughts enough at that time
to put all this down into coherent thoughts. I don’t think it matters if I say it in front of all those
people anyways, this is for Granddaddy.
I’m sitting on my flight home reading a self-help book called, No Excuses: The Power of Self-
Discipline by Brian Tracy. Yes, I read self-help books, but that’s a story for another time, I
suppose. As I am reading this book I think to myself, “Did this guy know Grandad; it sounds
like a biography about him! I never heard excuses from him. As I am reading more of the book,
I cannot help but reflect on some of the similarities between the guidance in the book and the old
sayings Grandad always told me. Here are some of the things I want to share…
The MOST IMPORTANT thing I learned from Grandad is to Do Hard Things. Force yourself
out of your comfort zone and take responsibility for your actions. You cannot control
everything, but you have control over your reactions/responses to those things that are outside of
your control. The book posits that the more responsibility you take over your actions, the more
control you have over your own life. Anyone who met him would know that he always seemed
to be in control. The more control you have and responsibility you take, allows you to be
happier because you choose what direction your life takes. Billy was always a happy, positive
and motivating man! He had a quote that he always wrote and kept with him; “Turn every
OBSTACLE into an OPPORTUNITY”. Hard things don’t have to be negative; they’re not there
to stop you. Look at the hard things in life as a way to make yourself stronger – something you
can overcome and be proud of!
Grandad set lofty goals for himself. He knew that setting goals provided a clear way to take
responsibility and control of his life; therefore, opening him up for happiness! He set goals from
an early age and quickly found the power of writing down his goals and strategies to achieve
them. He came up from a small town in Arkansas, born in poverty, and earned a bachelor’s
degree at a time when only 10% of the US population had a higher education! He always told
me that education won’t make you successful, but it will “open doors that weren’t available to
you without” - Being successful is up to you (it’s within your control…starting to see a pattern?).
His goal-setting and ability to strategize allowed him to have a successful career, and in his
retirement, he enjoyed traveling the world and visiting six of the seven continents on earth! He
had contingency plans in place for most situations. By taking on the responsibility of planning
and considering alternative outcomes beforehand, it allowed him to enjoy his time abroad and
not be overwhelmed if something didn’t go exactly as planned – it allowed him to focus on his
happiness and enjoy himself!
Another thing that I remember about Grandad (as I’m sure most of you all heard time and time
again) is that every time I saw him, he told me how proud he was of me and all his family. I
remember thinking, ‘All I have done is come say HI to you and eat dinner’. It’s not that he was
saying this to make us feel better – he WAS proud of us. He appreciated the importance of the
small things. You must start somewhere, and he was proud that we took the first step that day –
we got out of bed and did something…it’s easier to get started and do something that’s going to
make you happy once you get up! He was proud that we were on our way to our own happiness!
I sent Grandad a birthday card a few years ago and I remember saying, “if I could be just half the
man that you are, I could be proud of myself and my accomplishments”. He was the absolute
best man I ever met, and I am honored to have been a part of his life! He was the epitome of
self-discipline. He was courageous, responsible, determined, humble, and proud. He always
mentioned that his friend Ira Robinson was his ‘hero’ for all that he endured and overcame. Well
my hero is Billy Thornton; I aspire to live a life that would make him proud!
Below is a picture of Grandad. Look and then come back to this. This picture shows the kind of
man Billy Thornton was; the kind of man I hope to be! In 1995, with his dear friends Ira
Robinson and Stuart McDonald, he hiked his first ‘fourteener’ in Colorado (fourteener is a term
for a mountain over 14,000 ft at the peak). First, it shows that he did something hard. He could
have stayed home, he could have gone for a casual walk…but he decided to do the hard thing
and climb a mountain! He saw an obstacle and made it into an opportunity to prove to himself
that he could. He mentioned to me that he was so very tired at the end of this hike; he had
blisters on his feet and as you can see from the image, his boots were soaked as well. As he sits
there he is reflecting on his accomplishment by documenting the journey, letting his weary feet
rest and yet he has a huge smile on his face! On top of it all, he is tired, has a sense of
accomplishment – like he is on top of the world but the only gesture he makes is to point UP! As
if he is not on top, there is more to be done. There are more goals to be set, there are more
obstacles to overcome. The man attached to that finger is the man who has the determination,
courage and self-discipline to do it; he’s NEVER GOING TO QUIT
I wish I could have said this at the funeral, but I hadn’t collected my thoughts enough at that time
to put all this down into coherent thoughts. I don’t think it matters if I say it in front of all those
people anyways, this is for Granddaddy.
I’m sitting on my flight home reading a self-help book called, No Excuses: The Power of Self-
Discipline by Brian Tracy. Yes, I read self-help books, but that’s a story for another time, I
suppose. As I am reading this book I think to myself, “Did this guy know Grandad; it sounds
like a biography about him! I never heard excuses from him. As I am reading more of the book,
I cannot help but reflect on some of the similarities between the guidance in the book and the old
sayings Grandad always told me. Here are some of the things I want to share…
The MOST IMPORTANT thing I learned from Grandad is to Do Hard Things. Force yourself
out of your comfort zone and take responsibility for your actions. You cannot control
everything, but you have control over your reactions/responses to those things that are outside of
your control. The book posits that the more responsibility you take over your actions, the more
control you have over your own life. Anyone who met him would know that he always seemed
to be in control. The more control you have and responsibility you take, allows you to be
happier because you choose what direction your life takes. Billy was always a happy, positive
and motivating man! He had a quote that he always wrote and kept with him; “Turn every
OBSTACLE into an OPPORTUNITY”. Hard things don’t have to be negative; they’re not there
to stop you. Look at the hard things in life as a way to make yourself stronger – something you
can overcome and be proud of!
Grandad set lofty goals for himself. He knew that setting goals provided a clear way to take
responsibility and control of his life; therefore, opening him up for happiness! He set goals from
an early age and quickly found the power of writing down his goals and strategies to achieve
them. He came up from a small town in Arkansas, born in poverty, and earned a bachelor’s
degree at a time when only 10% of the US population had a higher education! He always told
me that education won’t make you successful, but it will “open doors that weren’t available to
you without” - Being successful is up to you (it’s within your control…starting to see a pattern?).
His goal-setting and ability to strategize allowed him to have a successful career, and in his
retirement, he enjoyed traveling the world and visiting six of the seven continents on earth! He
had contingency plans in place for most situations. By taking on the responsibility of planning
and considering alternative outcomes beforehand, it allowed him to enjoy his time abroad and
not be overwhelmed if something didn’t go exactly as planned – it allowed him to focus on his
happiness and enjoy himself!
Another thing that I remember about Grandad (as I’m sure most of you all heard time and time
again) is that every time I saw him, he told me how proud he was of me and all his family. I
remember thinking, ‘All I have done is come say HI to you and eat dinner’. It’s not that he was
saying this to make us feel better – he WAS proud of us. He appreciated the importance of the
small things. You must start somewhere, and he was proud that we took the first step that day –
we got out of bed and did something…it’s easier to get started and do something that’s going to
make you happy once you get up! He was proud that we were on our way to our own happiness!
I sent Grandad a birthday card a few years ago and I remember saying, “if I could be just half the
man that you are, I could be proud of myself and my accomplishments”. He was the absolute
best man I ever met, and I am honored to have been a part of his life! He was the epitome of
self-discipline. He was courageous, responsible, determined, humble, and proud. He always
mentioned that his friend Ira Robinson was his ‘hero’ for all that he endured and overcame. Well
my hero is Billy Thornton; I aspire to live a life that would make him proud!
Below is a picture of Grandad. Look and then come back to this. This picture shows the kind of
man Billy Thornton was; the kind of man I hope to be! In 1995, with his dear friends Ira
Robinson and Stuart McDonald, he hiked his first ‘fourteener’ in Colorado (fourteener is a term
for a mountain over 14,000 ft at the peak). First, it shows that he did something hard. He could
have stayed home, he could have gone for a casual walk…but he decided to do the hard thing
and climb a mountain! He saw an obstacle and made it into an opportunity to prove to himself
that he could. He mentioned to me that he was so very tired at the end of this hike; he had
blisters on his feet and as you can see from the image, his boots were soaked as well. As he sits
there he is reflecting on his accomplishment by documenting the journey, letting his weary feet
rest and yet he has a huge smile on his face! On top of it all, he is tired, has a sense of
accomplishment – like he is on top of the world but the only gesture he makes is to point UP! As
if he is not on top, there is more to be done. There are more goals to be set, there are more
obstacles to overcome. The man attached to that finger is the man who has the determination,
courage and self-discipline to do it; he’s NEVER GOING TO QUIT
Clint Maddox, grandson