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Robert Thornley Obituary
passed away on October 6, 2012. He was born on December 1, 1941. Thornley was an artist, sculptor, husband, father, grandfather and friend. He will be greatly missed by all. His wife, Sherrie, preceded him in death. His children Kim, Denise, Mike and Sean, his grand children, dog Sadie and a multitude of friends survive him. Sculpting stone was Thornley's passion and many of his pieces are on display throughout Cave Creek, the state of Arizona and the country. He was the owner of Thornley Sculpture Studio in Cave Creek. A memorial service will be held 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 20 at Christ Anglican Church, 35500 N. Cave Creek Road, (1/2 mile north of the Carefree Hwy. on the west side of Cave Creek Road), Memorial donations may be made to Christ Anglican Church to honor Robert where he installed his sculpture, the Cave Creek Cross; P.O. Box 5892, Carefree, AZ 85377.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Robert Thornley
2 Entries
Tim McDonald
November 14, 2012
I learned from Robert Thornley what it means to be an artist. To begin with the gift you're blessed with, to honor that gift by your expression of it, and to always stay true to the integrity of the work over any expectation of its outcome. However, these are not the lessons I learned from him directly, but more from being a witness to his work as an example. He has shared with me some of his more “straight forward” nuggets of wisdom, of course. That “The Stone… Is Unforgiving” or that the term “Starving Artist” is Bull@#%#!” But I see now, that these are just a cover for the more important lessons hidden underneath, the lessons he somehow teaches you without you even knowing it. Of the courage and integrity it takes to fulfill a life's work such as his. Or of what a man who follows his true heart can actually produce in the world. Or of the determination and endurance that not even the age
of 70 can obstruct. But what stands out to me most, whenever I go to his studio for a visit, is the sense that I'm around a man who actually knows the truth. The truth about himself and the work that he was meant to do. The truth about what it means to be an artist.
Robert (Bobby) Arredondo
October 28, 2012
Robert was a good friend. We met at C4 in Cave Creek in 2003. I have one of his pieces in my living room. He will be missed! May he rest in peace.
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