Staci Anne Thornton

1968 - 2021

Staci Anne Thornton

Brielle - Staci Anne Thornton, 52, passed away on Saturday, April 17th, 2021. Staci was by all accounts an unique person, and was a devoted and loving daughter, wife, mother, sister and friend. Staci was born on Thursday, August 22nd, 1968, at Fitkin Hospital in Neptune, New Jersey. She was raised in Spring Lake Heights and attended Spring Lake Heights Elementary School and Manasquan High School, where she made many of her lifelong friends. Staci never had issues making friends, and has people close to her across the country and the world, including in the United Kingdom and Uganda, who would all testify to the laughter and light she brought to each of their lives. She met her husband, Spencer, in 1989, and they married on August 10th, 1991, celebrating nearly 30 years of marriage together. They lived the majority of their lives in Brielle, where they raised their son Riley who she gave birth to in 1996. Staci was quite frankly an amazing mother, always up for fun in the good times and ready with support in the hard times, ensuring she steered her son in a direction of lifelong happiness. She was involved in and cared about his schooling, goals and dreams, and had been sober for over 20 years because she believed it would make her a better mother. They made yearly trips to Florida, where they spent precious times in the sun with her parents Fran and Eddie Desevo. They were fortunate enough to be able to travel across the country to visit friends and family and create countless memories.

Staci had a sense of humor that a statue couldn't help but crack a smile at. Whether a celebration, somber activity or just an average day, she was always able to brighten up the room, whether it was filled with hardened adults or children, who she had a special gift of connecting with. There were few places that Staci was happier at than at the beach or in the ocean, and she sought to better understand life's mysteries below the surface. She had a heart for adventure, always ready for hiking, rock climbing, scuba diving or even sky diving. Staci connected with herself and others through music, especially bands like The Who, The Rolling Stones, Phish and of course the Grateful Dead, who she saw more times in concert than years she spent on this earth. You would always hear the music coming from her car before seeing the car itself, and you would always find a dancing bear sticker on it somewhere.

Staci cared deeply for the sanctity of live itself, whether it was human, plant, animal or ecological. She was moved by, and sought to take action against the injustices she witnessed in this country and the world, and was a firm believer in the Black Lives Matter movement and the principles of fairness and equality for all. A lifelong vegetarian and more recent vegan, she herself felt the suffering of others around the world; she insisted on only adopting pets, and would always move a bug found in the house outside unharmed. She was fascinated by plant life, with her motherly instinct carrying over to the many green friends she kept throughout the house. She believed in the crucial importance of environmental health and lamented the damage done to ecosystems from climate change, pollution and overfishing. She founded the Brielle Environmental Club at Brielle Elementary School, which brought students to Sandy Hook to plant dune grass and preserved land in the Amazon Rainforest from deforestation, amongst the achievement of raising awareness of the health of the Earth to children. She had an impact on the people around her and the world at large.

Staci is deeply, deeply missed by everyone lucky enough to know her, and surely by those who didn't and read this as well. The light she shone on this world will never be extinguished.

Staci is pre-deceased by her father Edward Desevo; her grandparents Madeline and Albert Galasetti; her father-in-law Walter Maher; and her grandmother Eleanor Howland. Staci is survived and loved by her husband H. Spencer Thornton; her son Riley Thornton; her mother Frances Desevo; her mother-in-law Jane Maher; her brother Joseph Sluka and sister-in-law Lynn Sluka; her niece Candace Abraham and her husband Jeremy Abraham and her great nieces Aurora and Juniper; her nephew Hunter Sluka and his wife Shay Sluka; her sister Anna Rocheleau and her husband Steve Rocheleau and their children Noelle and Stevie; many loving aunts, uncles and cousins (it takes a village); and her countless close friends and ever-faithful FOFLA.

A memorial visitation will be held on Friday, April 23, 2021 from 5-8pm at the O'Brien Funeral Home, 2028 Hwy 35, Wall. To send condolences to the family please visit www.obrienfuneralhome.com

Due to the current executive orders, capacity limitations must be followed and facial masks must be worn for all indoor gatherings.

To honor Staci, please consider making a donation to: Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, New Jersey State Organization (dbsanewjersey.org), Black Lives Matter New Jersey (blmnj.com) and/or Shark River Cleanup Coalition (sharkriver.org).