Franklin Edward Thornton, 89, of Clearwater, Florida passed away on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. He was born in Clearwater on February 25, 1935, and served in the Navy as a Marine Corps Medical Corpsman for 8 years. During his time in the service, he was stationed in Japan during the Korean War.
After serving his country he moved to New Orleans, Louisiana to be near his brother Edward, working on the steamboat President on the Mississippi River. Franklin moved back to Tampa and married Margaret Andrews, to whom he was married for 57 years. He spent most of his career as a medical salesman in the Xray industry. He had a passion for flying, sailing, golf, and was an avid reader. He kept his pilot’s license current as a member of the Civil Air Patrol and continued to demonstrate his love for his country by volunteering with the Marine Corps League for many years. He was also a member of Fifth Avenue Baptist Church in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Franklin is survived by his wife of 57 years, Margaret, and their two daughters Lettie Thornton and Robin Perrone, (Anthony) and his 2 grandsons John Anthony and William Perrone and cousins Grant, Max, and Mike Thornton.
A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, May 14 th. at the Veterans Funeral Care 830 N. Belcher Road, Clearwater, with visitation from 12-1pm, followed by a service at 1pm.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Marine Corps League, Morris F. Dixon, Jr. Detachment 054, 2011 Water Wheel Court, Dunedin, Florida 34698.
Frank was always kind to me and others. I will miss the honest conversation we had. Rhonda and I will keep him and the family in our prayers. Semper Fidelis Doc
Thank you for your service to our country and our United States Marine Corps. May God bless your family during this time.
We, the Brown’s, all surely loved your daddy Robin. We always enjoyed spending time and sharing in conversation with him, and I know he felt the same. He truly will be remembered forever, but immensely missed by us all! RIP Frank ❤️
So many interesting things about Frank that I did not know. What I did know, was that he was a kind and quiet man that was a blessing to be around and to speak to.
So many interesting things about Frank that I did not know. What I did know, was that he was a kind and quiet man that was a blessing to be around and spend time with. ❤️🙏🏻