Norfolk City Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Thornton, Gladys Estelle Hale July 23, 2002
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Diane Renfrow dianel14@gmail.com February 21, 2014, 7:13 pm

Virginian-Pilot, The (Norfolk, VA) - Sunday, July 28, 2002 
NORFOLK - On Tuesday, July 23, 2002, Gladys Estelle Hale Thornton passed away
peacefully in her sleep at a local hospital. She was the widow of Franklin W.
Thornton Sr. Together they operated Hale Funeral Home, a business founded by her
father, the late John Howard Hale in 1912. At her death, Mrs. Thornton was the
owner and president of Hale Funeral Home.

She graduated from Booker T. Washington High School and earned a bachelor's
degree from Howard University, Washington, D.C., in 1941. Mrs. Thornton was very
active in funeral service in the Tidewater area for more than 50 years. She was
a member of the Virginia Morticians Association, the Virginia Funeral Directors
Association, the Norfolk Funeral Directors and Embalmers Association and the
Tidewater Funeral Directors Association. For a number of years, she chaired the
education committee in the Norfolk Funeral Directors and Embalmers Association.
She was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., the Chums Inc., where she
was a charter member and the first registered agent, the Kiski Club and the
Corianders Club. She was also a charter member of Jack and Jill of America Inc.

In 1993 she received special recognition for excellence in funeral service from
the Norfolk Funeral Directors and Embalmers Association and in 1998 she received
special recognition for excellence in funeral service from the Norfolk Funeral
Directors and Embalmers.

Survivors include her sons, Franklin W. Thornton Jr. of Norfolk, Howard Hale
Thornton of Washington, D.C., and Richard Burrell Thornton of Hartland, Maine; a
sister, Mable Ferebee of Norfolk; brother, Jesse Edward Wynn of Norfolk;
grandchildren, Kaili Welch of Mission Viejo, Calif., Dylan Hale Thornton of
Bozeman, Mont.; nephew, Lester Ferebee of Norfolk; daughter-in-law, Linda Sweet
Thornton of Pittsfield, Maine; great-nephew, Javon Beal of Norfolk; caregivers,
Jean Dillard, Fannie Gee, Cynthia Lanear and Carla Edwards, all of Norfolk.

A funeral will be held Monday at Grace Episcopal Church at 1 p.m. by Father
Harold Cobb. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery . Today there will be a Wake
from 6 to 8 p.m. at Hale Funeral Home. The Rev. Robert Bullock is the funeral
director in charge. 

Additional Comments:
Calvary Cemetery

THORNTON, GLADYS H 1777 Section 4, Block 4, Lot 272, Space NE 83 F 07/29/2002

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