Dorothy Sue Thornton

The relatives and friends of Dorothy Sue Hay Thornton, of Westerly, R.I., and Charleston, S.C., invite you to attend a memorial service in celebration of her life on Sunday, Aug. 12, 2012, at 3 p.m., at the Watch Hill Chapel in Watch Hill, R.I.
Dorothy Sue was born Aug. 18, 1922, and died peacefully July 5, 2012, at the age of 89 at her home at Bishop Gadsden in Charleston, S.C.
She is the widow of James D. Thornton Jr. and is survived by a son, James D. Thornton III and his wife, Joan, of Windsor, Conn.; a daughter, Sue H. Thornton and her husband, Adrian J. Chanler, of Charleston, S.C.; two granddaughters, Anne Thornton Alberts and her husband, Jay, of Salem, Mass., and Sarah Thornton, of Savannah, Ga.; a sister and brother-in-law, Sandra and William Thornton, of Charleston, S.C.; and a sister and brother-in-law, Joanne and Lawrence Baldwin, of Peabody, Mass.
Born in Chicago, Ill., she spent her early years in Chicago, then London, England, and Hamburg, Germany. After attending high school in New York, she graduated from National Park College, Md., where she majored in music. She worked in an advertising agency in Manhattan, N.Y., then moved to Columbia, S.C., attending the University of South Carolina and working for a local radio station. While in Columbia, she met her husband, Jim Thornton, who was a student in law school. They married in 1950 and moved to Alexandria, Va., while Jim served in the Army during the Korean War. They settled in Westerly, R.I., where Jim practiced law and Dorothy lived a full life, raising children, volunteering and serving on boards at several local organizations including the Westerly Library, the Westerly Hospital, the YMCA and Meals on Wheels. Dorothy was an active member of the Central Baptist Church, singing in the church choir and teaching Sunday school.
She was a woman with a strong faith and a love of reading and music, and will always be warmly remembered as a dear, loving mother and a strong, smart and elegant lady.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Westerly Public Library, 44 Broad Street, Westerly, R.I., 02891, or to any charity of one's choice.