Dr. Fred R. "Doc" Thornton, Jr

Dr. Fred R. "Doc" Thornton, Jr., 94, died Monday night, January 21, 2013 at Wellmont Holston Valley Medical Center.

Fred Russell Thornton packed a lot of experiences into his 94 1/2 years of living. After growing up in Knoxville, TN and earning the rank of Eagle Scout, climbing Mt. LeConte in the dead of winter before trails were forged, learning to fly a plane with his close high school buddy Leon Thomas, and getting his civilian pilot license, he completed his undergraduate degree at East Tennessee State University, formerly known as East Tennessee State Teachers College. He first worked as a carpenter for TVA doing bridge construction near Haysville, NC when he learned about the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec 7th, 1941. On Dec. 8th he left his job and headed directly to Chanute Field in Jacksonville, Florida to enlist and take the exam to be a Civilian Training Officer instructor. Fred was then sent to Chicago, IL for 3 months of training. It was then he decided to ask Agnes Ricker, his bride-to-be, along with his mother and younger sister, Mary, to drive up north through the snow from Mosheim, TN to meet him and be married. She arrived with 10 cents remaining in her purse. After his initial training, he was issued a Navy uniform and gear and sent to Miami FL where he worked as a Second Lieutenant J.G at the Pan Am Seaplane base. Fred was later transferred to Honolulu Hawaii to work on Martin Seaplanes and Douglas 4 & 5 land planes until his discharge from the service at the end of WWII and return back to East Tennessee.

After leaving the service, Fred began his teaching career as a woodworking instructor at Fulton High School in Knoxville, TN while completing his Masters and eventually Doctor of Education degree at the University of Tennessee. During this time he and his father built his home themselves. Along with his wife Agnes, they worked to clear almost 22 areas of land for planting crops, a vineyard, raising chickens, and keeping milk cows. Upon completion of his doctorate degree, Fred accepted employment at a state vocational school in Jacksonville, FL and later became the Vocational Education Coordinator for the state of Florida. At this point in his career he decided to accept a position with the Training Department at Tennessee Eastman Company and moved his family to the home he designed and had built in Kingsport, TN in the fall of 1963 and he resided there until his death. Over the next decade, Fred worked to develop and coordinate the apprenticeship training program for the company, a process which radically changed the quality and speed of training apprentices better than the former time-based system. He retired from Eastman after 21 years in 1984 but continued to be involved in both training and education by serving on a variety of technical education accreditation boards involving high schools and, for one, Northeast State Technical Community College.

Fred was, from his time as a high school woodworking instructor and throughout his life, also a master wood craftsman of beautiful early American furniture. Most all of his work can still found in his home and with friends and relatives throughout the country. His woodworking shop with its pot belly wood stove known to many as "The Barn" provided him the tools and equipment needed to design and build many outstanding creations. He continued to work in The Barn until mid-November of this year. He also enjoyed restoring antique pieces including his father's mule drawn wagon which had deteriorated over the years in storage. This handsome green wagon with red Moravian built spoke wheels can be seen on display today at the historic Exchange Place in Kingsport. His volunteer work there was a natural link to his heritage as he is a member of the "First Families of Tennessee".

Fred was very passionate about his veteran status and worked tirelessly to bring the Honor Air Knoxville Program to many WWII veterans living in the Tri-Cities and surrounding areas of East Tennessee. As part of the recruitment process, he would hand deliver application forms and stamped envelopes to interested veterans and discuss the personal impact he experienced in traveling to Washington DC to see the WWII memorial and other related sites. His encouragement resulted in many individuals flying on the Honor Air flights, most all returning from the experience with life-changing memories and enormous gratitude for this unique opportunity.

He was very proud of his military service in the Navy, apprenticeship work, church activities, and the many friendships he held with people of all walks of life in the community, young and old alike. He was especially proud when a certain little girl and little boy called him one night and asked if he would be their Papaw because they did not have one. He told many people this was one the greatest requests he had ever received. Fred was a kind, honest man who dearly loved his wife and children and his Volvos and enjoyed the many years of life he was blessed to have been given.

Fred was preceded in death by his wife, Agnes Ricker Thornton of Mosheim, TN.

He is survived by three children, Karen Thornton of Stone Mountain, GA, Jane Thornton of Kingsport, and Russell Scott Thornton of Winston-Salem, NC; special daughters, Elizabeth Henderson of Stone Mountain, GA, and Regina Gullion of Blountville; two special grandchildren, Makinzi Gullion and Brycen Gullion of Kingsport; sister, Mary Boynton of Knoxville; sister-in-law, Lillian Grogg of Hickory, NC; many nieces and nephews; and special friends, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Stone of Kingsport and Mr. Leon Thomas of Knoxville, TN.

The family will receive friends on Saturday, from 12:30-2:00 pm at First Baptist Church of Kingsport. Funeral services will follow at 2:00 pm with Dr. Ron Davis and Dr. William Palmer officiating. Entombment will follow the service at Oak Hill Memorial Park. Military rites will be conducted by American Legion Posts 3/265 color guard.

Honorary pallbearers for Dr. Thornton are Edward Rion, Charles Hartman, Henry Stone, and Leon Thomas.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Exchange Place, 4812 Orebank Rd., Kingsport, TN 37664, the Senior Choir at First Baptist Church, 200 W. Church Circle, Kingsport TN 37660, or to Honor Air Knoxville, 7536 Gaggart Lane, Knoxville TN 37938.