Obituary of Barbara C. Thornton

Barbara C. Thornton, 88, of Fairmount, passed away peacefully on February 19, 2025.

Born in Syracuse to the late William Barnard & Anna May Skinner, she was predeceased by her husband James and sister Patricia Skinner. Barbara graduated from St. John the Evangelist High School and attended Central City Business Institute.

While maintaining and managing a household for her family of 9, Barbara still managed to keep up with her extraordinary gardens, often receiving notes in the mailbox from passersby admiring her gardens. She was a talented seamstress and enjoyed photography and birdwatching. She also managed to attend many of her children's sporting, scholastic and extracurricular activities.

Barbara was a force to be reckoned with on the tennis court at Pine Grove Country Club. She won several awards over the years and made many good friends while playing in these leagues.

Both Barbara and her late husband Jim were longtime summer residents of Otisco Lake forming lifetime friendships with their Fitzgerald Point neighbors. They also enjoyed "taking a break" from the long Syracuse winters to spend time in Florida on North Redington Shores.

But Barbara's most fulfilling role was being "Nana" to her 16 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren.

Barbara was a longtime communicant of Holy Family Church, and The Church of the Nativity at St. Patrick's Church in Otisco, NY.

Surviving are her children, Timothy (Mary) Thornton, Mary (Ed) Kern, Kathleen Thornton, Maureen (David) Stathis, James "Bam" Thornton, William (Marie) Thornton and Robert (Joanne) Thornton; 16 grandchildren; 9 great-grandchildren; sister Nancy Spaulding; sister-in-law Joan Thornton, and several nieces and nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 am Wednesday, February 26, 2025, in St. Francis Xavier Church, One West Main St., Marcellus, NY. There will be no calling hours. Burial will be private.

Donations in lieu of flowers may be made to the Alzheimer's Association Central New York Chapter, 5015 Campuswood Drive Suite 102, E. Syracuse, New York 13057.