Dr. Richard Thornton

1925 - 2015

Dr. Richard M. Thornton, age 89, of St. Charles, passed away at Delnor Hospital, Geneva on Wednesday, September 23, 2015 surrounded by family. He was born November 29, 1925 in Elgin, IL, son of James & Lillian (Schmitz) Thornton. Richard graduated from Elgin High School in 1943 and went to work for Howard Aircraft in St. Charles, IL producing PT19 and PT23 army training planes and DGA navy ambulance aircraft. Drafted at 18, he served in World War II as an anti tank sergeant with the 65th infantry division of General George Patton's 3rd army. He was awarded a Bronze Star for action in breaching the Sigfried line and his platoon participated in the surrender ceremony for the city of Regensburg, one of Germany's largest cities. Richard also took part in the liberation of Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria. Post war, Richard earned his BS in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University and joined Continental Can Co. in Chicago as a project engineer. He directed pioneering work in the food and beverage industry and developed many new can making technologies. In 1957, Richard joined Litho-Strip Corporation and participated in developing new metal coating technologies for the building and appliance industries. He went on to become President of Litho-Strip eventually retiring in 1969. He then attended Northern Illinois University, earning a PhD in International Economics in 1974 and joining the faculty of DePaul University, teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in Economics and Money and Banking. As Director of the DePaul Center for Economic Education, Dr. Thornton developed "The Stock Market Experiment", a simulation stock trading program for Illinois elementary and high school students which ran from 1980 to 1990 giving thousands of students their first experience in stock trading. He retired from active teaching in 1995. Dr. Thornton is survived by his loving wife, Joyce (Burkart); children Richard (Cindy) Thornton of Strongsville, OH, Thomas (Marie) Thornton of Grafton, WI, Lance (Missy) Thornton of Geneva, Kevin (Carol) Thornton of Chicago, Shawn (Diane) Thornton of St. Charles and Anne Gosz of St. Charles He was preceded in death by his parents, son Daniel, grandson Ian and son-in-law Tom Gosz. Funeral prayers for Richard will be held Tuesday, September 29, 2015 at 9:30 am at Malone Funeral Home, 324 East State Street (Route 38) proceeding to St. John Neumann Catholic Church 2900 East Main Street, St. Charles for celebration of Mass at 10:30 am, Father David Peck, celebrant. Burial will be follow at Mt. Hope Cemetery, Elgin. Visitation will be held Monday, September 28 from 4-8:30 pm at Malone Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, memorials to St. John Neumann, St. Charles 60174 will be appreciated. For information please call 630-232-8233 or visit www.malonefh.com.