Ann K. Thornton, 95, of Fort Worth passed away peacefully on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014, after an extended illness. Memorial service: 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, in the Longhorn Room at Trinity Terrace. Interment: 10 a.m. Thursday in Greenwood Memorial Park. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Thompson's Harveson & Cole. Ann was born the oldest of five children in Plains, Pa., on Feb. 20, 1919, to Michael and Mary Katsak. Her father was an Austro-Hungarian immigrant. She graduated from Plains High School. Ann described her life as a "fairy tale" after her marriage to Lloyd Thornton on Feb. 10, 1946. They met while he was an Army ordinance officer during World War II and they both worked at the Pentagon. They dated for just 13 days, after which Lloyd was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army in October of 1945. He left for Fort Worth to establish Thornton Steel Company with his brother. Two months later, Lloyd came back to Washington, D.C., to propose to his beautiful bride-to-be, and they were married in Plains, Pa. Their lives and blissful marriage were definitely a beautiful inspiration to their children, as well as to friends and business associates. They traveled with their children on numerous vacations all over the U.S. Both enjoyed playing bridge with friends for many years. Ann and Lloyd were faithful members of University Christian Church since 1946. She attended Bible Study Fellowship. She was also a member of the Fort Worth Junior Woman's Club and the Fort Worth Woman's Club for over 60 years. She had an avid love for art and studied painting and drawing under Bror Utter and other instructors at the Woman's Club for decades. Her art adorned her own home as well as her children's homes, and she won many awards in various art shows. She loved all media of art, but her first love was watercolor with an impressionist style. She loved beautiful surroundings, particularly Asian art and the contemporary furnishings in her home. Ann was president of the Woman's Club Art Department in the 1950s and was a member of the former Arts and Crafts Study Club there for many years. She attended TCU as an art major in the 1960s. The family wishes to express its sincere appreciation and gratitude for the special care provided by her physicians, Dr. Robert H. Kelly and Dr. Lance Mandell, and by numerous caregivers from Visiting Angels, including Frankie Knowles. Ann was preceded in death by Lloyd, her beloved husband of 64 years; their granddaughter, Stephanie Surber; her brother, Joseph Katsak; and her sister, Karen Booth. We will miss her kind, gentle, loving spirit. She was the best mom in all the world. Survivors: Children, Patricia Nail and husband, Roland, Robert Thornton and wife, Marjorie, Cheryl Surber and husband, Charles; granddaughters, Shelly Weber, Karen Coulter and Anna Marie Surber; grandsons, John, Bryan and Matthew Thornton; great-grandchildren, Christopher Thornton and Jenna Weber; sister, Jewel Rhodes; and brother, William Katsak.
Published in Star-Telegram on Feb. 23, 2014