Wayne Thornton December 25, 1934 - September 11, 2024

Graveside Celebration of Wayne Thornton’s Life, age 89, of Wiergate, Texas, will be 10:00 a.m., Monday, September 16, 2024 at the Mattox Cemetery in the Survey Community of Newton County, Texas.

Wayne passed away on Wednesday, September 11, 2024 at his home in Wiergate, Texas.

A native of Houston, Texas, Wayne was a member of the Class of 1952 at Jeff Davis High School, he moved from Houston to Jasper, Texas in 1973, Wiergate, Texas in 1978 and retired from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1998 after over twenty years of service and then operated his fiberglass boat repair business in the Survey area for several years.

Wayne was the owner and operator of ProAngler Bass Boat Manufacturing in Jasper, Texas for many years. He was very active in drag racing in the Houston Area and was instrumental in getting the Houston International Drag Strip in Dickinson, Texas and getting the Houston Police Officer Association to pay for the pavement. He also played a role in getting the AHRA and NHRA in the Houston area and building hot rod engines and classic cars. He was considered one of the better engine builders of his time.

Wayne is survived by his son, Neal Thornton and wife Roberta of Liberty, Texas; daughter, Roxanne Thornton Rich of Wiergate, Texas; Four grandchildren, Travis Thornton, Robert Thornton, Jack Thornton and Ty Rich and seven great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his, parents, Levis and Juanita Thornton; wife of over 60 years, Sue Thornton and sister, Dawn Kathleen Black.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Shriner’s Children’s Texas, Office of Philanthropy - Suite 523, 815 Market Street, Galveston, Texas 77550 or St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Plaza, Memphis, TN 38105

Services are under the direction of Stringer & Griffin Funeral Home of Jasper.