Geraldine (Gerry) Anne Thornton (née Ford) died peacefully at Hillview Health Care Center on October 8, 2016, in La Crosse, Wisconsin, at the age of 87, surrounded by her loving family.

Gerry is survived by her children, Jon Thornton, of Hawthorne, California, and Mary Anna Thornton (Jack Weyrauch) of La Crosse, Wisconsin; brother Richard Ford; grandchildren Damian, Daniel, Tanya, William, and John; special niece Janice, with whom she was very close; and many other dearly loved nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, William Thornton, sister Elaine Jensen, and brother Roger Ford.

Gerry was born on July 25, 1929, in Escanaba, Michigan, to Marvin and Mary Anna Ford. After high school graduation, Gerry moved to Milwaukee and worked as an executive secretary. She met her husband Bill when he was a student at Marquette University. They married on November 3, 1951, at the Church of the Gesu in Milwaukee.

Her children, grandchildren, relatives, and her many friends remember her fondly as a hard-working, caring individual with high standards and a big heart. Gerry was a highly active community volunteer and took on many community leadership roles in both the Milwaukee and Sturgeon Bay areas, well into her eighties. It was of the utmost importance to her to be, as she called it, a “productive, contributing member of society.” She greatly enjoyed her work with the Miller Art Museum, PEO, and other charitable organizations as well as the many decades she spent in friendship with the Seukpanya family, sponsoring their immigration to this country, helping them acclimate to a new culture, and lending them support and comfort through their many struggles.

Special thanks to the many individuals, including the Hope Church community members, who became such good friends to Gerry over the years. She treasured each of you. Special thanks also to the skilled and caring staff at the Hillview Health Care Center, who cared for Gerry with great kindness in the last months of her life. And, finally, many thanks to nieces Janice Jensen, Karen Dandeneau, and Catie Tyndall, who visited frequently during her last year of illness and provided so much welcome support to Gerry and her immediate family.

A memorial service is being planned for a future date in Sturgeon Bay. In lieu of flowers, please consider sending donations to the Hope Church or the Miller Art Museum in Sturgeon Bay or to the Hillview Health Care Center in La Crosse.

A memorial service will be held for Gerry on Saturday the 19th of November at the Hope United Church of Christ, 141 South 12th Avenue, in Sturgeon Bay. Informal drop-in greeting time will start at 10:00 am, with a service at 11:00 am, and lunch to follow.

Coulee Region Cremation Group is assisting the family.