Father of resident, entrepreneurial engineer, lover of the outdoors
Dick Thornton. (Courtesy photo)
Richard D. Thornton died at age 93 in his Newbury Court residence in Concord May 16, 2023.
Born Sept. 24, 1929, in Scarsdale, New York, he attended high school in Wellesley, and Princeton University as an undergraduate. He got his Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and stayed at MIT as a professor of electrical engineering and computer science for more than 40 years.
While teaching, Dick formed a company, Thornton Associates, that pioneered water purity measurements through resistivity computations. His research interests included high-speed electrodynamic systems and urban electromagnetic systems. In the 1970s he both participated in the MIT electric car race across the country annually and worked on Maglev, a system of train transportation that uses electromeagnets, as the next form of transportation. His Maglev work ultimately led him to form a second company, MagneMotion, with several of his graduate students.
Technology was only one facet of his life; outdoor adventure was another. While in graduate school he and his friends needed an extra crew member for a two-week sail on the coast of Maine. He ended up marrying that extra crew member, Marian. They shared countless adventures with their children and friends for the next 60 years. Together they enjoyed skiing and sailing, whitewater canoeing during spring flood season, and hiking in the White Mountains during foliage season. Sailing included racing and cruising from New York to Maine, including all wind conditions on Buzzards Bay and all types of fog on their annual coast of Maine cruise.
Dick was predeceased by his wife, Marian, and sister, Julie Wagoner. He leaves behind a daughter, Margo Webber, and husband Todd of Grantham, New Hampshire; son Dick and wife Toni of Los Altos, California; son Doug and wife Alison of Harvard; seven grandchildren: Alex Webber and wife Nicole, Kip Webber and wife Katie, Karen Thornton, Margo Thornton, Christopher Thornton, Arianna Thornton, and Nicholas Thornton; great-grandson Riley Webber; sisters Mary Carr and Nina Asgeirsson; dearest friend and companion Kathleen Lang; and many nieces, nephews, extended family, and friends from all aspects of his life.
Relatives and friends are invited to gather for a memorial service Sunday, Aug. 6, at 2 p.m. in First Parish, 20 Lexington Road, Concord Center. A reception will immediately follow. Private interment will be held at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Dick’s memory may be made to Appalachian Mountain Club (www.outdoors.org) or Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm, 208 South Great Road, Lincoln MA 01773 (www.massaudubon.org). Checks can be made payable to Mass Audubon. Please include honoree’s name and Drumlin Farm in memo.
For the online guestbook and church livestream link, go to www.DeeFuneral Home.com.
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