Michael Charles Thornton was born to Mable Durland Thornton and Roy Carl Thornton in 1945, while they were living on Haight Street in San Francisco, CA.  Soon after they moved to Arkansas where Mike's father was raised.

Mr. Roy Thornton had 3 sons and a daughter from a previous marriage.  While living in Arkansas another daughter, was born to Mable and Carl.  Soon thereafter they all piled in to one house.  Mike lived with his parents and all the siblings until he was about 7.  He completed grades one and two.  Looking for work, Mr. Thornton moved Mable, Mike, and his sister to San Diego, CA.  In time they purchased a home there on Chamone, Ave., and there they lived for a long time.

Mike attended remaining grades 3 through 12 in San Diego, Ca. public schools.  Mike chose to attend San Diego State University as he could ride his bike to Campus.  He worked in the summer picking tomatoes and doing any odd jobs he could find.  With careful handling of funds he was able to sleep and eat at home and pay for all of his clothes, books, tuition, and university fees, etc..

Mike majored in Physics with a lot of mathematics included.  He completed a BS degree in physics in 1969.

Mike found a little time to participate in a Christian fellowship.  While attending meetings he met a nice girl who was tall and since he was 6'1", he was not intimidated by her height.  In fact, he found her attractive.  That girl eventually became his wife.  During this period Mike recognized his need to be baptized.  In La Mesa Church of Christ, he was buried in baptism in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit for the remission of his sins.

The Viet Nam War was beginning to pick up, so, it was not long until Mike was called up to serve.  He joined the Air Force.  He wore glasses and he had poor eyesight so being a pilot was out.  Not Mike's first choice, but he stood and served by repairing air planes with failing electrical systems at George Air Force Base.  When it was time, Mike was honorably discharged from the AirForce.

During that time, he had continued to see that tall girl from the Christian Fellowship.  He found that he loved her and she returned that love.  He proposed to her and they were married about 2 months prior to his being discharged from the Air Force.  They moved to Adelanto, CA, for those last two months prior to his discharge.  After discharge Mike decided to use his GI Bill to return to college and to work on his MS in Zoology.  He entered a new stage his life.  He was working and now embraced Fatherhood.  He was a good father and allowed his wife to stay at home with their baby boy.  Soon, three years later a baby girl arrived.

With Mike to help raise the children, his wife was free to return to College and eventually get her Doctorate and teach at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond.  After she was established, he decided to begin a BS degree in Computer Science.  He graduated with his BS in Computer Sci. from UCO.

Mike worked for 20 years for the state of Oklahoma and much of it involved running the fancy chemistry set known as a GCMS or the Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer.

Mike retired in 2004.  During retirement he took on many favorite hobbies including painting portraits, landscapes, and wood working.  He built items such as a fire place mantle, book shelves, rocking chairs, and an entire kitchen cabinet remodel.

Mike took in and helped care for his mother-in-law for 10 years until her passing.

Mike is survived by his wife Phyllis, sister Rebecca, daughter Jennifer, son Justin, daughter-in-law Heather, and two granddaughters Katrina and Alyssa.