Maxine Thornton

BURLINGTON — Maxine Morris Thornton went home to be with the Lord on April 25, 2020.

She was born on March 21, 1930, in Morganton, North Carolina, as the only child of the late Nina and Ernest Morris. She graduated from Morganton High School in 1948. During her senior year, her high school classmates described her as “sweet, smart, and sophisticated” in the yearbook, the Cat’s Tale.

She went on to study at Mars Hill University and Mercer University, earning a bachelor’s degree in education, and began teaching elementary school students in Raleigh, NC. In 1954, Nina Morris and a friend at her job at a hosiery mill, Cora Thornton, decided their children might be a good match. Maxine soon met Charles B. (Chuck) Thornton, and the two were happily married until he passed away in 2017.

Maxine was a lifelong Christian who loved her church communities, including First Baptist Church of Burlington and Holly Hill Baptist Church. Together, Maxine and Chuck raised two children, traveling across the country to Los Angeles, California, and back again with Chuck’s job at Western Electric.

She was stylish and looked beautiful through the decades. She wore tasteful shirtwaist dresses in the 1950s, bright colors and fun hairdos in the 1960s, and big collars and pantsuits in the 1970s. She loved fashion and had a good eye for color.

She was creative and capable, decorating the family home with handmade crafts during the holidays, including dozens of white crocheted stars for the Christmas tree. She was an excellent duckpin bowler and had a lovely singing voice.

Maxine is survived by her children, Clark B. Thornton of Nashville and Terri Thornton McIntosh of Atlanta.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine, there will be no public service. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial gift to Holly Hill Baptist Church in Burlington or send flowers to Holly Hill Baptist Church or plant a tree in memory of Maxine..